Shillong, July 3: The 135th edition of the IndianOil Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football tournament, will kick off on July 25 with a blockbuster Kolkata Derby between record 17-time champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and 16-time winners East Bengal FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
The Durand Cup Organising Committee on Friday announced the fixtures for the tournament, which will run until August 23 and feature 24 teams divided into six groups across five host cities — Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati.
The tournament will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network, with live streaming available on SonyLIV.
Kolkata, which has hosted the competition since 2019, will stage Groups A and B, the opening match, two quarter-finals, the first semi-final and the final.
Group A comprises Mohun Bagan Super Giant, East Bengal FC, South United FC and CISF Protectors, while Group B features Mohammedan SC, Indian Army FT, Baghpat FC and Samaleswari Sporting.
Ranchi will make its debut as a Durand Cup host, staging all Group C matches at the Birsa Munda Football Stadium. The group includes Jamshedpur FC, Sporting Club Delhi, Indian Air Force FT and Sri Lanka’s Defenders FC, who are making their first appearance in the tournament.
In Imphal, Group D features local rivals TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, FC Raengdai and Indian Navy FT. The Imphal leg begins on July 28 with the Manipur derby between TRAU FC and NEROCA FC.
Shillong will host Group E from July 31, showcasing Meghalaya’s football strength with local clubs Shillong Lajong FC, Langsning FC and Meghalaya Premier League champions Nongkseh SS&CC, along with debutants Mumbay FC from Maharashtra. The Shillong campaign opens with Shillong Lajong FC taking on Nongkseh SS&CC, while the group concludes on August 13 with the much-anticipated Shillong derby between Shillong Lajong FC and Langsning FC.
Group F, to be played in Guwahati from August 1, will feature defending champions NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC, FC1 and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC.
At the end of the league stage, the six group winners and the two best second-placed teams will qualify for the knockout rounds.
The quarter-finals will be played in Ranchi, Kolkata and Shillong on August 16 and 17. The first semi-final will be held in Kolkata on August 19, followed by the second semi-final in Shillong on August 20.
The final of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on August 23, where the champions of this year’s tournament will be crowned.
