New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Kerala were on Tuesday declared the hosts for the next Super Cup as the football tournament makes a return after four years.
The tournament that will pit the 11 Indian Super League teams with five I-League sides will take place from April 8-25 in two of the three cities among Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Tuesday.
All 11 ISL teams and the champions of the 2022-23 I-League will get direct entry into the group stage.
Four spots will be up for grabs from the qualifiers that will take place among the second to 10th I-League teams. The qualifiers will kick off on April 3.
“We could not stage the tournament during the pandemic, therefore, its return is very positive news. It will provide more competitive opportunities for players,” AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran said.
The Super Cup champions will take on I-League winners Gokulam Kerala FC for a place in the 2023-24 AFC Cup group stage.
If Gokulam Kerala win the Super Cup, they will get automatic qualification to the AFC Cup group stage.
FC Goa emerged champions in the previous edition in 2019, beating Chennaiyin FC 2-1 in the final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The inaugural tournament in 2018 was won by Bengaluru FC, who beat East Bengal 4-1 in the final.
Source: PTI News
