Punjab FC to take on Aston Villa FC in Next Generation Cup 2024 opener

Mumbai, July 27 (IANS) Aston Villa FC and Punjab FC will kick off the Next Generation Cup 2024 at the Aston Villa FC Training Ground in Tamworth, UK on August 1. Three teams from India and one from South Africa will fly to the UK in the coming week as Tamworth will host the tournament this year.  
 

Matches are scheduled to take place at the Aston Villa FC Training Ground. The facility boasts more than eight football fields and many impressive amenities. The tournament will be held from August 1 to August 4 with the finals hosted at the Loughborough University Stadium.

August 1

The Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) champions Punjab FC will take on the host city team Aston Villa at 2:30 pm IST. Simultaneously, Everton will face off with Muthoot FA, the third-placed team in the RFDL, on the other pitch. Muthoot FA opened a lot of eyes during the RFDL and the players will display their grit against the International opponents.

A few hours later, at 7:30 pm IST, Crystal Palace take on East Bengal FC, the RFDL runners-up, while the other pitch witnesses a clash between Stellenbosch FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC. Stellenbosch FC of South Africa won the Midlands group title in the 2022 Next Generation Cup while Spurs suffered a defeat that year in the London group finals as they lost 8-0 to West Ham United. They missed out on an appearance in the 2023 Next Generation Cup but will try to get the silverware home this season.

August 2

The second day of the tournament will kick off in a similar fashion at 2:30 pm IST, with a matchup between Muthoot FA and Crystal Palace on one pitch while the other field hosts Aston Villa and Stellenbosch FC. A few hours later, at 7:30 pm IST, East Bengal will try to prove their mettle against Everton while Tottenham Hotspur face off with the RFDL champions Punjab FC.

Every team play every day during this tournament so the players have to deal with a very quick turnaround regardless of the previous game’s outcome. Only time will tell which team will step up to the challenge.

August 3

The third and final day of the group-stage games will begin with Tottenham Hotspur and Muthoot FA battling it out for a top spot in the leaderboard at 7 pm IST. The top eight teams will enter a bracket and compete on the last day of the tournament. The first and second-placed teams on the table will play in the final and fight for the bragging rights of the 2024 Next Generation Cup.

Premier League sides and Indian teams will not face teams from their country during the span of these group-stage games. The aim to promote international exposure, development of young players and they are set to receive that courtesy of the high-intensity matches that they’ll be a part of in the coming week.

Crystal Palace and Stellenbosch FC will kick off alongside the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Muthoot FA at 7:30 pm IST. At 10:30 pm IST, the hosts Aston Villa welcome East Bengal FC on the field while Everton and Punjab FC clash on the other pitch to wrap up the group stages.

The stakes will be at an all-time high as teams try to move up the ladder on the final day of the group-stage games. As mentioned earlier, the last day’s fixtures will be determined by the standings.

August 4

The last day of the tournament will show each team’s grit and might. The 7th and 8th-placed teams will face off at 2:30 pm IST alongside the 5th and 6th-placed teams. At noon, there will be a showdown between the third and fourth-placed sides for the third place. Finally, the 2024 Next Generation Cup will conclude with the first and second-position teams locking horns at 8:30 pm IST for the much-awaited championship title.

--IANS

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