New Delhi, April 7: The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 will begin with a double header on April 20 with Kerala Blasters FC taking on East Bengal FC followed by Mohun Bagan SG’s match against an I-League Club in the day’s second match.
The fixtures for the tournament were announced on Monday.
The event, which will be played in Bhubaneswar from April 20 to May 3, will see participation from 16 clubs (13 from the Indian Super League and three from the I-League), in a single-elimination knock-out format.
All matches will take place at the Kalinga Stadium. The ISL teams were seeded for the round of 16 according to their final league position in the 2024-25 season.
Three I-League teams confirmed their participation – Churchill Brothers FC Goa, Inter Kashi, and Gokulam Kerala FC. They will face the top three ISL teams (Mohun Bagan Super Giant, FC Goa and Bengaluru FC) and these three match-ups will be decided by a draw on Wednesday.
The round of 16 will be played on April 20, 21, 23 and 24, the quarter-finals on April 26 and 27, the semi-finals on April 30, and the final on May 3.
If the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes in the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, there will be no extra time, and a penalty shoot-out will determine the winner.
If the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes in the final, there will be extra time, followed by a penalty shoot-out to determine the champion.
The winners of the tournament will qualify for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Round.
East Bengal FC are the defending champions, having beaten Odisha FC in the 2024 final in Bhubaneswar. Odisha FC (2023), FC Goa (2019) and Bengaluru FC (2018) are the past champions of the Super Cup. (PTI)
