Super Cup (India)
AIFF Super Cup, also called the Super Cup or Hero Super Cup (for sponsorship ties), is an annual knockout football competition in Indian football. It is organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Competition is open to the clubs that play in Indian Super League and I-League, the current top 2 divisions of Indian football league system.
| Organising body | All India Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | February 19, 2018 (successor of the Federation cup) |
| Region | India |
| Number of teams | 23 |
| Qualifier for | AFC Cup |
| Current champions | Goa (1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Bengaluru Goa (1 title each) |
| Television broadcasters |
|
| Website | supercup.in |
| 2023 Indian Super Cup | |
History
On 19 February 2018, the All India Football Federation announced the creation of the Super Cup as a replacement for the Federation Cup, India's main knockout football tournament.[1] The qualifiers for the inaugural tournament were held between 15-16 March. The tournament proper then commenced on 31 March and concluded with the final on 20 April 2018.[1] Bengaluru emerged as the winners of the inaugural edition of the tournament. They defeated East Bengal 4–1 in the final.[2] The 2020 and 2021 editions had not been held due to COVID-19 pandemic in India, while tournament returned in new calendar for 2023.
Competition format
The competition proper is a 16-team knockout tournament. In the event of a match being drawn after the completion of 90 minutes, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if required.
The top six teams from both the Indian Super League and the I-League qualify for the competition proper automatically, while the bottom sides participate in the qualifiers to determine the remaining spots.[3]
Controversy
In the second edition, seven I-League clubs — Minerva Punjab, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, NEROCA FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Aizawl FC and Churchill Brothers FC — withdrew from the tournament citing "unfair treatment to I-League clubs by the AIFF."[4]
Results
| Season | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Bengaluru | 4–1 | East Bengal | Kalinga Stadium | 9,500 |
| 2019 | Goa | 2–1 | Chennaiyin | Kalinga Stadium | 1,500 |
| 2020–2022 | Tournament suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Indian National Team's international fixtures | ||||
| 2023 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | TBD |
Performance by club
| Club | Wins | Runners-up | Winning years | Total finals appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | 1 | 0 | 2018 | 1 |
| Goa | 1 | 0 | 2019 | 1 |
| East Bengal | 0 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Chennaiyin | 0 | 1 | — | 1 |
List of winning managers
| Season | Winning Head coach | Club | Runner-up Head coach | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Albert Roca | Bengaluru | Khalid Jamil | East Bengal |
| 2019 | Sergio Lobera | Goa | John Gregory | Chennaiyin |
Golden boot winners
| Season | Top Scorer | Club | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Sunil Chhetri | Bengaluru FC | 6 | |
| 2019 | Coro | FC Goa | 5 |
Sponsorship and media coverage
Sponsor
The title sponsor for the Super Cup is Hero MotoCorp.[5] Hero MotoCorp is also the title sponsor for the Indian Super League and I-League, the leagues which comprise Super Cup participants.[6][7]
| Period | Sponsor | Tournament |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–present | Hero MotoCorp | Hero Super Cup |
Media coverage
Star Sports is the official broadcaster for the AIFF Super Cup, with all matches being broadcast on the channel and Disney+ Hotstar is the official online streaming partner of the tournament.[8]
| Period | Broadcaster | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–present | Star Sports | India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |
| Fox Sports | Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam | |
| ATN Channel | Canada | |
| ESPN+ | United States of America | |
| OSN Sports | Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen | |
| Star Gold UK | England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, (also parts of Europe) | |
| SuperSport | South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa | |
| Eurosport | Europe | |
| ESPN Africa | Parts of Africa |
| Period | Broadcaster | Region |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–present | Disney+ Hotstar | Worldwide |
See also
References
- ^ a b Saharoy, Shilarze (12 March 2018). "Chennaiyin to face Aizawl in Super Cup on March 31". The Times of India. from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- ^ "Chhetri scores a brace as Bengaluru FC thrash East Bengal 4–1 to win title". Scroll.in. 20 April 2018. from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Super Cup 2019: Qualifiers being on 15 March, final in Bhubaneshwar on 13 April". from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ "Super Cup: Minerva Punjab miss pre-match conference, meeting; AIFF terms it 'blatant disregard'". 14 March 2019. from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- ^ "East Bengal seal semi-final berth in Hero Super Cup". Business Standard. 8 April 2018. from the original on 6 October 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Four teams, one shot at glory: Here are the scenarios for the I-League title race ahead of final day". Scroll.in. 6 March 2018. from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Indian Super League (ISL) 2017–18: Full Schedule, match-time and results". The Times of India. 17 November 2017. from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Super Cup 2018: NEROCA FC v Kerala Blasters FC – TV channel, stream, kick-off time & match preview". Yahoo Sports. 5 April 2018. from the original on 28 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.