Durand Cup 2019 to kick-off on August 2 in Kolkata, final on 24th
The prestigious Durand Cup is all set to kick-off from August 2 after an absence of two years from the Indian Football circuit. This will be the first time in recent times that the tournament will be held outside its traditional home, Delhi.
The matches will be played across three cities in West Bengal – Kolkata, Siliguri and Kalyani. Arch-rivals Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club will face off each other at the Salt Lake Stadium in the opening fixture while the final will be played at the same venue on August 24.
A total of 16 teams will compete in the tourney, drawn into four groups with four teams each. The matches will be played in a round-robin format followed by knock-outs. 6 Indian Super League teams, 6 I-League teams and four from the Defence Services will fight it out amongst each other for the coveted trophy. This will be the 129th edition of the Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest tournament.
The Groups
Group A
Bengaluru FC, East Bengal, Jamshedpur FC, Army Red
Group B
Mohun Bagan, Navy, Mohammedan Sporting Club, ATK
Group C
Chennai City FC, Real Kashmir FC, FC Goa, Army Green
Group D
Gokulam Kerala FC, Chennaiyin FC, TRAU FC, Air Force
It was learnt that the tournament has been scheduled in consultation with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and FSDL. The matches will reportedly be telecast live on the Star Sports Network, but there is no confirmation regarding telecasts yet.
Durand Cup, for ages, has been an integral part of the Indian football calendar, but it was overshadowed in recent times. The revival of the tournament is great initiative taken by the football federation. The Cup started back in 1888, Mohammedan Sporting Club is the first Indian club to win the silverware, in 1940.