Odisha FC look to kick-off their ISL 2025-26 season with a win against Inter Kashi FC

Odisha FC’s first game against Punjab FC in ISL 2025-26 was postponed.

It has been ten months of uncertainty and darkness for Odisha FC and its fans, but football has come back to Kalinga, and so has the Odisha FC team. The Juggernauts will begin their 2025-26 ISL campaign against I-League champions Inter Kashi FC on February 24, 2026, at 19:30 IST at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.

While Odisha was one of two clubs that did not participate in the first match week, Inter Kashi is coming off a promising 1-1 draw against Super Cup champions FC Goa in their last encounter at the Fatorda.

With no football in the previous ten months and only six days of pre-season, the Juggernauts are anticipated to face a significant struggle. Can they overcome all the hurdles and defeat Habas’ Kashi? Let’s have a quick preview at both sides before the match.

The Stakes:

Odisha FC

Odisha FC has had several difficulties, both on and off the field. Off the pitch, they have struggled financially owing to the delays and uncertainties surrounding the commencement of ISL during the last ten months.

They were the only ISL team that did not compete in the 2025/26 AIFF Super Cup and the last to announce their participation in the 2025/26 ISL. Despite their confirmation, they had to wait until February 18 to begin their preseason since the Odisha government’s approval procedure for training and game hosting was taking longer than expected.

On the field, head coach Sergio Lobera has departed from the club. Out of the six foreigners, five have retired or moved elsewhere. Important domestic players such as Amey Ranawade, Jerry Mawia, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Narender Gahlot, and Raynier Fernandes have all left the club to sign for other ISL teams. They have added a few domestic players to assemble a team that will be very competitive in the forthcoming ISL season, despite these departures.

At the helm, they have appointed TG Purushothaman to manage their team for the 2025/26 ISL. In terms of signings, they have added seven new players and promoted two young players from their reserve teams. Among the well-known players who joined the team during the summer/winter transfer window are Saurabh Bhanwala, Lalrinfela, Edwin Vanspaul, Zuidika, and VP Suhair.

Read more: ISL 2025-26: Odisha FC complete squad for upcoming season

Inter Kashi

Inter Kashi entered the season as I-League champions and had much-needed clarity both on and off the field, in contrast to Odisha FC. They continued under head coach Habas, kept a large portion of their Indian core, and added four new foreign players while keeping Humanes and Barco.

They began their 2025/26 ISL season with a 1-1 draw with FC Goa. For most of the game, it appeared like Kashi would triumph in their ISL debut. However, the Gaurs were able to equalise from the penalty spot when Luis Tarres was sent off. Habas would be pleased with his team’s performance that day, even if they ended up drawing, considering that it was their debut game in the top tier of Indian Football.

With the league only having 13 games and Habas being the mentality monster he is, he will settle for nothing less than a win against a significantly inferior Odisha FC, whose players are likely to be out of fitness.

Team News:

Odisha FC hasn’t played a friendly or competitive match in a few months and has only recently resumed training. As a result, there is no solid information on the squad’s injury problems.

As for Inter Kashi, Habas will be relieved to have Lluis Tarres in goal after the AIFF disciplinary committee reduced Crystal John’s red card in their last game against FC Goa to a yellow. Spanish striker Mario Barco is expected to miss this game as well.

Head-to-Head:

The only meeting between these two sides came in the 2024 Super Cup, which ended in a 3-0 win for the Juggernauts.

• Matches Played – 1
• Odisha FC wins – 1
• Inter Kashi wins – 0
• Draws – 0

Predicted Lineups:

Odisha FC (4-3-3):

Amrinder Singh (GK); Saurabh Bhanwala, Carlos Delgado, Thoiba Singh, Zuidika; Puitea, Rohit Kumar, Hitesh Sharma; Isak Vanlalruatfela, Rahim Ali, Rahul KP;

Inter Kashi FC (4-4-2)

Lluis Tarres (GK); Sandip Mandi, Nishchal Chandan, Narendar Gahlot, Prabir Das; Rohit Danu, Jyesh Rane, Sergio Llamas, Prasanth K; Alfred Planas, Nauris Petkevičius;

Players to Watch:

Odisha FC – Carlos Delgado

Given Odisha FC’s hiatus from football for an extended length of time, the players are likely to lack match fitness, make passing errors, and give away the ball in critical areas. These circumstances provide the opponent with excellent chances to attack and score goals, and Carlos Delgado will be vital in these instances.

As the club’s sole foreign player and centre back, he must lead his team on the field and coordinate their efforts if they hope to avoid losing. In addition to being a superb leader, Delgado is a superb defender who maintains composure with his passing, tackling, and blocking while posing an aerial threat. Be it set pieces or open play, Delgado will play a key role in preserving the clean sheet for the Juggernauts.

Inter Kashi – Sergio Llamas

One of the strengths of the depleted Odisha side is its midfield. Together with Puitea, Rohit Kumar, and Hitesh Sharma, they form a strong Indian midfield trio. Purushothaman’s strategy to dominate Inter Kashi’s midfield and keep the ball will rely heavily on Hitesh’s passing, Rohit’s resilience, and Puitea’s energy. Tomba Singh and Sergio Llamas have to operate at their best to halt the Odisha midfield’s quick transitions.

With Tomba frequently sliding out of position while pursuing the ball, Llamas will be Inter Kashi’s primary midfielder. LLamas, who performed admirably against FC Goa in their opening match, is expected to start again and act as a sort of midfield orchestrator, holding on and recycling the ball between the attack and midfield, as well as between the defence and midfield.

Telecast Details

The match between Odisha FC and Inter Kashi FC on February 24, 2026, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. The match kicks off at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be shown live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD, and will be available to stream on Fancode.

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