Super Cup to be held from January 9-28 without India NT players: AIFF confirms

The Super Cup is set to be held between January 9 and 28 in Odisha, as confirmed by the AIFF. The ISL teams will be allowed to compete directly in the competition, while I-League clubs will have to play a qualifier on January 9 and 10 to determine which teams will make it through. 

The Kalinga Stadium will be hosting the tournament for a third straight time, after it was held in Kerala last year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Super Cup was scrapped between 2020 and 2022. But now, it has returned and serves as a qualifier for the AFC Cup. 

Super Cup 2024 to be held in January without national team players 

The Super Cup was set to be held at the end of the domestic season, but it appeared that clubs were not taking it as seriously. As a result, the AIFF has decided to shift the tournament to January when the Indian national team players will be playing in the AFC Asian Cup. 

The format and fixtures have not yet been confirmed either, with only over a month to go until it begins. The ambiguity surrounding the competition has put off managers like Manolo Marquez of FC Goa. 

The cumbersome nature of the schedule is not likely to go down well with players and club officials either. But as of now, it seems set to go through in spite of the lack of information.