India’s premier knockout football tournament gets underway this weekend when the 2016 Federation Cup kicks off on 30 April. Eight teams will vie for the title that Bengaluru FC won last year with a 2-1 win in the final over Goan side Dempo.
Also read: Hero Federation Cup 2016 Schedule, Complete Time Table, Today's Match Timings
The Federation Cup almost did not take place when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) planned to put the tournament on hold due to the I-League and Indian Super League seasons taking place one after the other. But a minimum number of 18 games have to be played by clubs if they are to compete in the AFC Cup.
With only nine teams in the I-League – a total of 16 league games per team – it did not meet the criteria. Hence, the Federation Cup had to be held so the I-League teams played enough games to be eligible.
Change in Tournament Format
The 2016 Federation Cup format was decided by the AIFF executive committee in November last year. This year’s format sees the top eight teams in the I-League qualify for the tournament and they go directly into the quarter-finals.
The team who finished top would play the team who finished eighth, second against seventh, third against sixth and fourth against fifth. The teams would play two legs – home and away – to decide which team moves forward to the semi-finals.
The 2014/15 format had two groups of five teams each which played a minimum of four games. The top two from each group went through to the semi-finals. But last season’s I-League had 11 teams and therefore 20 teams so the Federation Cup wasn’t really required to meet the minimum requirement of 18 games.
This season’s format ensures each team plays the bare minimum of 18 games thanks to the home-away format. i.e. 16 games in the I-League and at least two games in the first round of the Federation cup regardless of whether they progressed or not.
| # | Team | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bengaluru FC | 32 |
| 2 | Mohun Bagan | 30 |
| 3 | East Bengal | 25 |
| 4 | Sporting Goa | 22 |
| 5 | Mumbai F.C. | 19 |
| 6 | Shillong Lajong FC | 18 |
| 7 | Salgaocar | 16 |
| 8 | Aizawl FC | 16 |
| 9 | DSK Shivajians | 15 |
This season, Bengaluru FC won their second I-League title in three seasons in the penultimate game of the season. Though Mohun Bagan led the table for long periods of the season, they slipped up on the home stretch while Bengaluru picked up important wins against Mumbai FC, East Bengal and Salgaocar to leapfrog the Mariners.
Although Aizawl FC finished eighth, they were relegated to the I-League second division because of the protection afforded to DSK Shivajians by virtue of being a corporate entity. But the club from the north-east will be allowed to play in the Federation Cup and take on champions Bengaluru FC in the first round.
The aggregate scoreline will decide which team goes through to the next round. If the aggregate score is tied, away goals will play a role in deciding the winner.
Unlike the I-League, teams do not have to field at least one U-22 player. Teams can pick any starting lineup they want with the squad they have.
Schedule
| Match | Home team | Away Team | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aizawl FC | Bengaluru FC | Aizawl | Saturday, April 30 |
| 2 | Mumbai FC | Sporting Clube de Goa | Mumbai | Sunday, May 1 |
| 3 | Shillong Lajong | East Bengal | Shillong | Sunday, May 1 |
| 4 | Salgaocar | Mohun Bagan | Goa | Monday, May 2 |
| 5 | Bengaluru FC | Aizawl FC | Bengaluru | Tuesday, May 3 |
| 6 | East Bengal | Shillong Lajong | Kolkata | Wednesday, May 4 |
| 7 | Sporting Clube de Goa | Mumbai FC | Goa | Wednesday, May 4 |
| 8 | Mohun Bagan | Salgaocar | Kolkata | Thursday, May 5 |
| SF1 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Saturday, May 7 |
| SF2 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Sunday, May 8 |
| SF1 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Saturday, May 14 |
| SF2 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Sunday, May 15 |
| Final | TBD | TBD | TBD | Saturday, May 21 |
