Santosh Trophy 2024: Hyderabad cleared to host national-level championship

The state will be hosting the prestigious tournament after a prolonged hiatus.

Hyderabad will host the final rounds of the 78th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy for the first time in 57 years, it was announced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

The last time the City of Pearls hosted the prestigious tournament was in the 1966-67 season when Railways defeated Services to lift the trophy in an all-institutional final.

The final rounds are tentatively scheduled for the first week of December. Telangana has received a bye to the final rounds as the host association. The winners of nine groups and last season’s finalists – Services and Goa – will play the final rounds in Hyderabad. The group stages will be played in November.

The last edition of the tournament saw a five-goal thriller in the final as Services beat Goa 3-2. Shafeel P.P.’s spectacular pile-driver was the difference between the two sides at full-time. The game had it all, from goal-line clearances to long-range goals and screamers. This edition promises to be nothing short of the same and fans will hope to see new stars come through the ranks and make a name for themselves.

Santosh Trophy 2024 final round groups

Group A: Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab

Group B: Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi

Group C: Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bengal, Bihar

Group D: Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura

Group E: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram

Group F: Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha

Group G: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Andaman & Nicobar

Group H: Kerala, Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, Railways

Group I: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Rajasthan

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