Domestic football is set to return in India with the 133rd edition of Durand Cup where 24 teams will be vying for the title starting on July 27.
The oldest existing club football tournament in Asia will kick off with Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s match against Downtown Heroes at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on July 27 at 6 PM.
All 24 teams compete in six groups of four, for a total of 43 matches in a round-robin league structure followed by knockout games. The matches will be hosted in four cities: Kolkata, Kokrajhar, Shillong, and Jamshedpur. The competition will feature teams from the Indian Super League (ISL), the I-League, as well as armed forces from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
The group stage will conclude with defending champions Mohun Bagan SG facing East Bengal FC in a repeat of last season’s final on August 18.
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GROUPS
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F |
| Mohun Bagan SG | Bengaluru FC | Kerala Blasters FC | Jamshedpur FC | Odisha FC | FC Goa |
| East Bengal FC | Inter Kashi | Mumbai City FC | Chennaiyin FC | NorthEast United FC | Hyderabad FC |
| Indian Air Force FT | Indian Navy FT | Punjab FC | Indian Army FT | Bodoland FC | Shillong Lajong FC |
| Downtown Heroes FC | Mohammedan SC | CISF Protectors FT | Bangladesh Army FT | BSF FT | Tribhuvan Army FC |
Here’s the full schedule for Durand Cup 2024:
GROUP A FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| July 27 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Downtown Heroes FC | 18:00 | Kolkata |
| July 29 | East Bengal FC vs Indian Air Force FT | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 2 | Indian Air Force FT vs Downtown Heroes FC | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 7 | East Bengal FC vs Downtown Heroes FC | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 8 | Mohun Bagan SG vs Indian Air Force FT | 16:00 | Kolkata |
| August 18 | Mohun Bagan SG vs East Bengal FC | 19:00 | Kolkata |
GROUP B FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| July 28 | Mohammedan SC vs Inter Kashi FC | 19:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan , Kolkata |
| July 31 | Bengaluru FC vs Indian Navy FT | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 3 | Bengaluru FC vs Inter Kashi FC | 19:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| August 6 | Mohammedan SC vs Bengaluru FC | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 9 | Indian Navy FT vs Inter Kashi FC | 16:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| August 13 | Mohammedan SC vs Indian Navy FT | 16:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
GROUP C FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| July 30 | CISF Protectors FT vs Punjab FC | 19:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| August 1 | Mumbai City FC vs Kerala Blasters FC | 19:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| August 4 | Kerala Blasters FC vs Punjab FC | 16:00 | Kolkata |
| August 5 | Mumbai City FC vs CISF Protectors FT | 16:00 | Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata |
| August 10 | Kerala Blasters FC vs CISF Protectors FT | 19:00 | Kolkata |
| August 11 | Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC | 16:00 | Kolkata |
GROUP D FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| July 28 | Jamshedpur FC vs Bangladesh Army FT | 16:00 | Jamshedpur |
| July 31 | Chennaiyin FC vs Indian Army FT | 16:00 | Jamshedpur |
| August 4 | Jamshedpur FC vs Chennaiyin FC | 19:00 | Jamshedpur |
| August 7 | Indian Army FT vs Bangladesh Army FT | 16:00 | Jamshedpur |
| August 11 | Chennaiyin FC vs Bangladesh Army FT | 19:00 | Jamshedpur |
| August 14 | Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Army FT | 19:00 | Jamshedpur |
GROUP E FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| July 30 | Bodoland FC vs NorthEast United FC | 15:00 | Kokrajhar |
| August 3 | Odisha FC vs BSF FT | 16:00 | Kokrajhar |
| August 6 | Bodoland FC vs Odisha FC | 16:00 | Kokrajhar |
| August 9 | NorthEast United FC vs BSF FT | 19:00 | Kokrajhar |
| August 12 | Bodoland FC vs BSF FT | 19:00 | Kokrajhar |
| August 16 | NorthEast United FC vs Odisha FC | 19:00 | Kokrajhar |
GROUP F FIXTURES
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| August 2 | Shillong Lajong FC vs Tribhuvan Army FC | 16:00 | Shillong |
| August 5 | FC Goa vs Hyderabad FC | 19:00 | Shillong |
| August 8 | FC Goa vs Tribhuvan Army FC | 19:00 | Shillong |
| August 10 | Shillong Lajong FC vs Hyderabad FC | 16:00 | Shillong |
| August 13 | Hyderabad FC vs Tribhuvan Army FC | 19:00 | Shillong |
| August 17 | FC Goa vs Shillong Lajong FC | 19:00 | Shillong |
The dates of knockout stage dates are yet to be announced.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com