Durand Cup: As the 131st edition kicksoff, here’s all you need to know - format, schedule and more

The 131st edition of the Durand Cup is all set to start with defending champions FC Goa going head-to-head with Mohammedan Sporting in the first game on August 16, in what will be a repeat of last edition’s final. The Goan team came up with a 1-0 win in extra time to win their first title.

The two will clash in a Group B game at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also the venue for the final on September 18.

“We all remember that we lost to FC Goa in the last final. Of course, this will give us additional motivation in this match. But we also understand that this is the opening match of the tournament and is an additional excitement. We have lot of new players that we want to see in serious games. Therefore, it is very important for us to start the tournament with a win,” said Mohammedan Sporting’s manager Andrey Chernyshov.

With all 11 Indian top division Indian Super League teams participating along with five I-League teams and four Services teams, the total number of teams have also gone up to 20 from 16 last year.

In what has turned out to be a tournament of firsts, Assam and Manipur will join West Bengal as tournament hosts, which will be for the first time that three states will be hosting the iconic tournament. Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Assam and the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, Manipur, will be hosting 10 group stage games each.

Participating teams

All 11 ISL clubs - ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, East Bengal, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, NorthEast United and Odisha FC - are competing at the event. There are also five I-League clubs competing - Mohammedan Sporting, NEROCA, Rajasthan United, Sudeva Delhi and TRAU - along with four teams from the services.

Format

The 20 teams have been split into four groups of five. Each plays the other once and the top two teams in each group will progress through to the second stage of the competition - which will be played in a single-leg knockout format starting from a quarterfinal stage.

All 47 matches will be broadcast on Sports18 SD & HD, and Sports 18 Khel, and will be livestreamed on the Voot App.