Mohun Bagan, FC Goa top seeded for Super Cup, 16 teams to take part

Panaji: Indian Super League (ISL) champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and second-placed FC Goa have been designated as the two top-seeded teams and will be placed at the top of two different groups for next month’s Super Cup in Goa.
The next edition of the Super Cup will see participation from 16 teams, which includes 12 from ISL and four – Inter Kashi, RKFC, Gokulam Kerala and Rajasthan United – from the I-League.
Odisha is the only ISL club who will not take part in the tournament
Churchill Brothers have opted out from among the top three I-League clubs who had direct entry and have been replaced by fourth-placed Gokulam Kerala. Rajasthan United, placed fifth, have stepped in for Odisha.
The ten ISL clubs have been placed in Pot 1, while the four I-League clubs will be in Pot 2
Bagan will be the top team in its group (A1), while Goa will be on top in the other group (B1). According to the draw mechanism, the first team drawn from Pot 1 will be placed in group C and will take position C1. The second team drawn from Pot 1 will be placed in group D and will take position D1. Once the top teams in the group are placed, the remaining eight teams will go into the four groups through lots.
Teams drawn from Pot 2 will be placed sequentially to complete the four groups.
Clubs have been informed that the virtual official draw ceremony of the Super Cup will be held on Sept 25 at 4pm.
According to the tentative draw, Mohun Bagan will play on the opening day – Oct 25 – while the group stage ends on Nov 6. The top teams from each of the four groups qualify for the knockout semifinals, expected to be scheduled after India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh on Nov 18.
Bagan and Goa will conclude their group stage engagements four days before their clashes in the AFC Champions League Two against Al-Hussein SC (Nov 4) and Al Nassr (Saudi Arabia, Nov 5).
“After months without any competitive games (since pre-season training started), Goa will now play five games in just 13 days,” said a senior official, pointing to three group games in the Super Cup sandwiched between the home and away clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.
The Super Cup winners will be rewarded with the second continental slot, a playoff for AFC Champions League Two.