The 131st edition of the Durand Cup begins today. The match will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata at 7 PM IST. Defending champions FC Goa will take on runners-up Mohammedan in the opening match. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the tournament. (durand cup start today)
Four groups of five teams each will face each other in the Durand Cup. Kerala Blasters’ first match is against Sudeva Delhi on Friday.
The latest edition of the Durand Cup has been decided to be very elaborate. The oldest football tournament in Asia will be organized in three venues. A total of 20 teams will play in the tournament. All 11 ISL teams will be in the Durand Cup. And five I-League teams and four Indian Army teams will compete in the tournament.
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The cities of Kolkata in West Bengal, Guwahati in Assam and Imphal in Manipur will be the venue for the Durand Cup. Last year, ISL teams started playing in the Durand Cup, which started in 1888. Teams like Kerala Blasters, FC Goa and Bengaluru FC played last season.
Only six ISL teams enter the Durand Cup with a top tier team. The remaining five teams will send a reserve team or second tier to the tournament. The 131st edition of the Durand Cup will start from the 16th of this month.
ATK Mohun Bagan, Chennaiyin FC, Odisha FC, Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City are the only teams that will send their main squad to the Durand Cup. Kerala Blasters, North East United, East Bengal, FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC will form the second tier.
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