Hero Super Cup: Who are the past champions?

The latest edition of the tournament is going to have several top clubs of Indian football.

Super Cup is making a comeback as the 2023 edition of the tournament commences from 3 April 2023 onwards. Kerala is hosting the tournament in its two cities, Kozhikode and Manjeri. One of the major talking points ahead of the start of the tournament is the return after a four-year gap.

The last time Super Cup took place was in 2019. Since then, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other scheduling issues, it could not be organised. However, the wait for the tournament is finally over. It will see teams from the Indian Super League and the I-League battle it out for the trophy.

It is going to be an exciting Super Cup considering the stakes. The winning team will have a chance to play in the 2023-23 AFC Cup if they successfully win the subsequent playoff fixture. Since it is only the third-ever edition of the tournament, only two teams have won it in the past. Here is a look at the past winners of the Super Cup:

Bengaluru FC - 2018

The first-ever Super Cup took place in 2018. The city of Bhubaneshwar in Odisha hosted the event where 20 teams across the qualification and main stage took participation. In the end, Bengaluru FC emerged as the winner of the inaugural edition. The Blues beat East Bengal in the final, back when they were plying their trade in the I-League.

In their journey to the final, Bengaluru FC beat the likes of Gokulam Kerala, NEROCA, and Mohun Bagan - all teams from the I-League. East Bengal beat FC Goa in the other semi-final to set up a mouth-watering clash in the final between a team from the ISL and the I-League which ended 4-1 in the favour of the former. Sunil Chhetri with six goals was the top scorer of the inaugural edition.

FC Goa - 2019

The second edition of the Super Cup saw FC Goa emerge as the winning team. Once again, Bhubaneshwar was the host city for the tournament that saw teams from the Indian Super League and the I-League participate.

The Gaurs had to beat the likes of Indian Arrows, Jamshedpur FC and Chennai City to set up an all-ISL final against Chennaiyin FC. In the final, FCG got the better of the Marina Machans by a 2-1 scoreline. Ferran Corominas and Brandon Fernandes were the goalscorers for the Gaurs on the day that saw them lift the Super Cup. They also won the ISL League Winner’s Shield at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

The 2023 edition

Both Bengaluru FC and FC Goa will aim to win the 2023 Super Cup. There are four groups of four teams each according to the format. The top team from each group will advance to the semi-final stage. It will be interesting to see if the Blues or the Gaurs add another Super Cup to their trophy cabinet or if a new team ends up as the champions of the tournament.