Kalinga Super Cup: Kerala Blasters to take on East Bengal FC in opener on April 20

IANS April 7, 2025 215 views

The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 promises an exciting football spectacle with 16 top Indian clubs battling for supremacy. Kerala Blasters and East Bengal FC will kick off the tournament in a high-stakes opener on April 20 in Bhubaneswar. The single-elimination format ensures intense matches with the ultimate prize being qualification for the AFC Champions League. Defending champions East Bengal FC will look to retain their title in this prestigious competition.

"The winners will qualify for the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two Preliminary Round" - AIFF Tournament Announcement
New Delhi, April 7: Kerala Blasters will play against East Bengal FC in the opening match of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 on April 20 as the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the schedule of the tournament on Monday.

Key Points

1

16 clubs compete in single-elimination knockout football format

2

Matches hosted at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar

3

East Bengal FC are defending champions

4

Tournament runs from April 20 to May 3

The tournament, which will be played in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 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). 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 Kalinga Super Cup 2025 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) have been the past champions of the Super Cup.

Kalinga Super Cup schedule:

Round of 16 (seeds in bracket):

Sunday, April 20 — Kerala Blasters FC (8) vs East Bengal FC (9)

Sunday, April 20 — Mohun Bagan SG (1) vs I-League Club - TBC

Monday, April 21 — FC Goa (2) vs I-League Club - TBC

Monday, April 21 — Odisha FC (7) vs Punjab FC (10)

Wednesday, April 23 — Bengaluru FC (3) vs I-League Club - TBC

Wednesday, April 23 — Mumbai City FC (6) vs Chennaiyin FC (11)

Thursday, April 24 — NorthEast United FC (4) vs Mohammedan Sporting Club (13)

Thursday, April 24 — Jamshedpur FC (5) vs Hyderabad FC (12)

Quarter-finals:

QF1 - Saturday, April 26 — KBFC/EBFC vs MBSG/I-League

QF2 - Saturday, April 26 — FCG/I-League vs OFC/PFC

QF3 - Sunday, April 27 — BFC/I-League vs MCFC/CFC

QF4 - Sunday, April 27 — NEUFC/MSC vs JFC/HFC

Semi-finals:

SF1 - Wednesday, April 30 — Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2

SF2 - Wednesday, April 30 — Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4

Final:

Saturday, May 3 — Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2

ab/.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Can't wait for this! Kerala Blasters vs East Bengal is always a fiery match 🔥 Hope we get to see some young talents shine in this tournament.
P
Priya M.
Interesting format but I'm not sure about the single-elimination knockout. One bad day and a top team could be out. Would prefer group stages first.
A
Ankit S.
East Bengal looking strong as defending champs! Hope they can repeat last year's performance. Manvir Singh was on fire in 2024 final.
S
Sneha R.
Great to see I-League teams getting this opportunity! Hope Churchill Brothers can pull off an upset against one of the ISL giants 🤞
V
Vikram J.
The schedule looks packed! 16 matches in 14 days is intense for the players. Hope the AFC spot brings out competitive matches.
N
Neha P.
As an Odisha FC fan, still hurting from last year's final loss 😅 But excited to see the tournament back in Bhubaneswar! The atmosphere will be electric ⚡

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
Kalinga Super Cup Kerala Blasters East Bengal FC Indian Football AIFF ISL I-League
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