AIFF allows clubs to play six foreign players in Kalinga Super Cup

With the winner of the Super Cup, scheduled to play in the ACL 2 Preliminary Stage of the AFC 2023-24 season, the All India Football Federation will allow participating clubs to allow more foreign players on the pitch.

The AIFF, on Thursday, decided to allow the participating clubs in the forthcoming Kalinga Super Cup, to be played in Odisha from January 9-28, 2024, to register up to six foreign participating players in the matchday squad.

The participating teams will also be allowed to start their matches with a maximum of six foreign players on the pitch.

If more than five foreign participating players are selected in the Player Selection List, then at least one of these players must hold the nationality of a Member Association of the Asian Football Confederation, the AIFF informed in a statement on Thursday.

The change has been made to align the rules of the Kalinga Super Cup with those for the Continental event.

As per the AFC club competitions regulations in the 2023-24 season, each participating club may select up to six foreign players, with one of them being from a country that is a Member Association of the AFC.

The Kalinga Super Cup is set to take place across two venues in Odisha and will commence on January 9, 2024. Both the Indian Super League and I-League clubs have been invited to take part, with the former getting direct entry.

Meanwhile, the I-League clubs will have to play the qualifiers to get into the Kalinga Super Cup group stage, where 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four each. The winners of each group will qualify for the semifinals, followed by the final to be played on January 28, 2024.

The draw for the tournament will be held on December 18, at the Football House in New Delhi.