Football News: 2022 Durand Cup - All you need to know
The Durand Cup, one of the world's oldest football competitions, will kickstart its 131st edition on Tuesday, as it will now serve as an exciting start to the Indian football season
2022 Durand CupDurand Cup: History
The tournament, which first took place in 1888, is Asia's oldest-ever club competition. ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the two most joint-successful teams in the event's history.
Both clubs have won it 16 times, but the Kolkata giants have not claimed the trophy in a long time, with East Bengal acquiring it in 2004 while Mohun Bagan was winning it last in 2000.
Durand Cup 2021
FC Goa was the only team from the Indian Super League (ISL) to register their first-team squad for the tournament in 2021. They registered a 1-0 win in the final against Mohammedan Sporting and took the trophy home.
Durand Cup 2022: When does it start?
The upcoming edition will begin on August 16, and the final match will occur on September 18.
Football News: Durand Cup 2022: Where will it take place?
The new season will be held in Kolkata, Imphal, and Guwahati. The first and final match will occur at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata.
Other venues include the Kishore Bharati Krirangan (Kolkata), the Khuman Lampak Stadium (Imphal), and the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati).
Comparing Durand Cup 2022 with the previous editions
For a change, the number of participating teams has increased from 16 to 20. All the 11 known ISL clubs will compete in this year's edition.
For clubs like NorthEast United, Mumbai City FC, and Odisha FC, the 2022 season will mark their first-ever Durand Cup appearance. Besides the ISL clubs, five I-League clubs and four teams from the Armed Forces are expected to partake in the event.
However, 2019 champions Gokulam Kerala FC will not participate this year. From the I-League, we can expect Mohammedan Sporting, NEROCA, TRAU, Rajasthan United, and Sudeva Delhi to compete.
Durand Cup 2022: Format
The 20 teams participating have been separated into four groups of five teams each. Kolkata will host groups A and B, Group C matches will take place in Imphal, and Group D in Guwahati.
The top two teams from every group will enter the quarterfinals. Let us take a look at the groups!
Group A: Mohammedan Sporting, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC, Indian Air Force
Group B: East Bengal, ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Rajasthan United, Indian Navy
Group C: Hyderabad FC, Chennaiyin FC, TRAU, NEROCA, Army Red
Group D: NorthEast United, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters, Sudeva Delhi FC, Army Green