The AIFF has confirmed that the Kalinga Super Cup will take place as expected – between January 9 to 28, 2024. All the matches will be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, hosting the tournament for the third time in its five editions.
However, the dates of the tournament clash with those of the AFC Asian Cup, where the Indian national team will compete. As a result, the participating teams will be without their players who represent the national team, causing another row.
Kalinga Super Cup details confirmed: Dates to clash with AFC Asian Cup
Teams from the I-League and the ISL will compete for the trophy, which allows them to enter the Preliminary 2 stage of the AFC Champions League. The I-League teams will have to play qualifiers on the first two days of the tournament to see which teams make it to the subsequent stages.
With India’s only guaranteed AFC Champions League spot rescinded from the upcoming season, the Kalinga Super Cup seems to be the only way for a team to make it to the top tier of continental football.
Fans and clubs alike have been quite vocal about their frustration over the tournament in the middle of the season. Having the Super Cup work as the AFC Champions League qualifier negates the accomplishments of the league winners and the Shield winners, which is one of the main complaints of fans online.
But in spite of the reaction, the tournament seems set to go ahead in the coming month.
