Churchill Brothers withdraw from Super Cup 2025

ISL Shield and Cup Winners Mohun Bagan will advance into the Quarter Finals of Super Cup

Amidst ongoing drama over the I-League Champions, the current table toppers of the I-League, Churchill Brothers, have withdrawn from the Hero Super Cup. This comes after the Churchill Brothers alleged that AIFF had an unfair and opaque seeding process, which denied them their rightful place and trophy.

The 37-year-old Goan outfit condemned this move, terming it against the rules, spirit and integrity of football. Churchill Brothers were scheduled to lock horns against “Champions of India” Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Round of 16 on April 20th. With Churchill’s withdrawal, Mohun Bagan are set to get a bye and a direct spot in the quarter-finals, where they will ply their trade against either Kerala Blasters or East Bengal.

The bracket for the #KalingaSuperCup 2025 is set! ⚔️16 teams, 1 trophy 🏆 📍 Bhubaneswar#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/XQrvtkc92W

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) April 7, 2025

What happened in the Super Cup draw?

All 13 teams of ISL and 3 teams from the second division, I-League, were given the opportunity to appear in the Hero Super Cup. This tournament holds significant importance as the winner gets a spot in the AFC Champions League 2 Qualifiers to represent India against the best clubs in Asia.

After the culmination of the league stage of the ISL, the top 3 teams in the points table were set to lock horns against the I League clubs in the Round of 16. Mohun Bagan, FC Goa and Bengaluru FC eagerly waited for the results of the draws to find out their next opponents in the Super Cup.

After the draw, it was decided that Mohun Bagan would play against Churchill Brothers on 20th April, FC Goa were drawn alongside Gokulam Kerala for a clash on 21st April, and Bengaluru FC are set to play Inter Kashi on 23rd April.

How will this impact the fixtures now?

With Churchill’s withdrawal, ISL Shield and Cup Winners Mohun Bagan will directly advance into the quarterfinals after getting a bye. A possible Kolkata derby is on the cards if East Bengal manage to get the better of Kerala Blasters in the Round of 16 clash.

Gokulam Kerala will need to pull out a miracle to beat FC Goa to make it into the quarterfinals. Inter Kashi, on the other hand, will be keen to stamp their authority by edging past ISL Finalists Bengaluru FC. The 2024-25 cycle of Indian Football is expected to culminate in a thrilling fashion as 15 teams eye a spot in the ACL 2 Qualifiers.

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