ISL vs I-League? All You Need to Know About Super Cup 2023

The Super Cup may not be enjoying a rich tradition in the Indian domestic circuit but within just five years of its inception, the tournament has emerged as the premier knockout football tournament in the country. After a hiatus of four years, this season’s Super Cup is now all set to get underway tonight. In the opening fixture of this season’s Super Cup, Rajasthan United will be up against NEROCA. The first qualifying round contest between Rajasthan United and NEROCA will be played at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri, Kerala. The summit clash of the event is slated to take place on April 25. The third edition of the Super Cup will also mark the end of an action-packed 2022-23 domestic season.

As the Super Cup is all set to kick off on Tuesday, it is time to take a look at all details about the knockout competition.

History

The Super Cup has so far been held twice. The inaugural edition of the competition took place in 2018. Bengaluru FC managed to lift the trophy that season after defeating East Bengal in final by four goals to one. In the next edition of the competition, FC Goa emerged victorious. The Gaurs got the better of Chennaiyin FC 2-1 in the 2019 Super Cup final.

Teams

RoundGlass Punjab earned a direct entry into the competition after winning this year’s I-League. Apart from RoundGlass Punjab, the 11 Indian Super League (ISL) sides directly qualified for the group stage of this Super Cup edition. Nine I-League clubs will initially be vying for four remaining spots at the group stage.

Groups

Group A: Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters, RoundGlass Punjab and winner of Qualifier 1

Group B: East Bengal FC, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC and winner of Qualifier 3

Group C: ATK Mohun Bagan, FC Goa Jamshedpur FC and winner of Qualifier 2

Group D: Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC and winner of Qualifier 4

Format

Two rounds of qualifiers will initially take place to determine the remaining four spots. Following the qualifiers, matches at the group stage will be played. Top-ranked teams of each group will reach the semi-finals. Leaders of Group A are scheduled to take on Group C at the last-four stage.

Venue

This year’s Super Cup will be played across two venues in Kerala- Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri and the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode.

Live Streaming and Telecast

The Super Cup 2023 matches will be televised live on Sony Sports Network in India. Football fans in India can also enjoy the live streaming of this year’s Super Cup on FanCode app and website.

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