Bhubaneswar, 19 April On Sunday, 15 clubs will compete for the trophy and a spot in the AFC Champions League Two the following season in the fifth edition of the Kalinga Super Cup. This season will be entirely in a knockout format, similar to 2018 and 2019, meaning every game is “do or die,” in contrast to the previous two years when the competition had a group round followed by semifinals.
It goes without saying that Bhubaneswar has a unique relationship to the Kalinga Super Cup. Odisha FC won the trophy and took it to Bhubaneswar in 2023, the only time the tournament was contested outside of Odisha. Since the inaugural edition in 2018, three of the four editions have been staged at Kalinga Stadium.
After an exciting round of extra time in the final, East Bengal FC won the trophy last year, defeating the Juggernauts 3-2. On the same field, the Red and Gold Brigade will try to defend their title after ending a 12-year drought for a national trophy. East Bengal has won consecutive Federation Cups in 2009–10 and 2010, therefore they are used to defending cup championships.
The Kolkata team will play Kerala Blasters FC, a team vying for their first-ever national trophy, in the Round of 16 on Sunday in an attempt to win a second Kalinga Super Cup. Both teams finished in ninth and eighth place, respectively, after disappointing ISL seasons. They thus have a chance to win this event. In the first quarterfinal, the victor of this matchup will take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who were given a bye after Churchill Brothers’ withdrawal.
FC Goa, the 2019 champions, will play Gokulam Kerala FC in an interleague match on Monday. After the 2021 AFC Champions League, the Gaurs will be keen to not only win the trophy again but also make a second appearance on the European stage after failing to go beyond the group stage in the previous two years. Following the 2022 AFC Cup, Gokulam Kerala is also planning a second Asian campaign. However, the Malabarians have never advanced beyond the Kalinga Super Cup Round of 16. They lost to Goa 0-1 in the 2023 group stage and ended without a victory in the previous two championships.
Punjab FC will play the hosts, Odisha FC, later on Monday. Since their first appearance in the Kalinga Super Cup in 2023, the Juggernauts have been the side to beat.
Their favorite competition has been the Super Cup, where they were runners-up in 2024 and champions in 2023. Additionally, it prepared them for their first AFC Cup participation in 2023–2024. Punjab FC made its debut in 2023 as well, however they have only won one of their six games in the two seasons and have never advanced beyond the group round.
On Wednesday, Bengaluru FC and Inter Kashi will play each other for the third time in two seasons. Prior to the Blues’ 3-0 victory in the Durand Cup group stage in August of last year, they drew 1-1 in the Kalinga Super Cup group stage in 2024.
Bengaluru FC is still in pain after losing in the ISL Final. However, it will only increase the desire of the first Super Cup champions in 2018, who want to break their four-year hiatus from Asian tournaments and become the first team to win the championship twice. Last year, Inter Kashi made their debut in the Kalinga Super Cup, advancing through the qualifying round but finishing the group stage without a victory in three games.
Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC would play each other for the fourth time in the Super Cup later that day, making it the most-played match in the competition’s short history. The Marina Machans defeated the Islanders 2-0 in the round of 16 in 2019, although the Islanders won 1-0 in the group stage in the previous two seasons.
Against Chennaiyin, who haven’t won this match since February 2020, Mumbai City has a 13-game winning run in all competitions. Both teams have previously participated in continental football: Chennaiyin FC in the 2019 AFC Cup, and Mumbai City in the 2022 and 2023–24 AFC Champions League.
Mohammedan Sporting and NorthEast United FC will face off on Thursday. The Highlanders, who qualified for the Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs and won their first trophy in the Durand Cup in August, have already had a remarkable season. NorthEast would be happy to finish the season with another cup victory, exactly as they started it. Their greatest Super Cup performance was a semifinal berth in 2023. An additional benefit of this is a first-time ticket to Asia.
In contrast, Mohammedan SC will be hoping to find some happiness in the Kalinga Super Cup after a disappointing first ISL season that ended with only two victories. After losing badly to Gokulam Kerala 5-2 in the 2023 qualifying round, this will be the Black and White Brigade’s second appearance in the Super Cup.
Later that day, Hyderabad FC and Jamshedpur FC would play to end the round of 16. The Red Miners will be itching to improve a little more and ultimately win the trophy since they were semi-finalists in the past two Super Cups and the ISL this season.
Hyderabad, who have only won once in six tries and crashed out of the group stage in 2023 and 2024, will make their third Super Cup participation. As a result, the Nizams will be hoping for a successful cup run for the third time. The semi-finals will be held on April 30, the final on May 3, and the quarterfinals on April 26 and 27.
In what location will the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup take place?
The Kalinga Stadium will host the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup.
When is the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup scheduled to take place?
The competition will begin on Sunday, April 20, and the championship match will take place on May 3.
Where will the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 be televised?
JioHotstar will webcast the Kalinga Super Cup 2025, while Star Sports Network will broadcast it.
