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Another edition of the Durand Cup, a tournament that has been reimagined as the traditional curtain-raiser for the Indian footballing calendar, is almost upon us. Asia's oldest footballing competition is set to kick off on August 3 and run for a month till September 3.
The 132nd edition will be played across three cities - Kolkata, Guwahati, and Kokrajhar. But the tournament has been expanded for the first time in its history to include 24 teams. Not just Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League clubs, but five armed forces teams from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh will participate in this footballing gala. This is the first time in 27 years that a foreign team will participate in the tournament.
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The 2022 Durand Cup was a success with Bengaluru FC eventually dismantling Mumbai City FC 1-2 in the final. Across venues, there were enormous turnouts and it well and truly set the wheels of the Indian footballing season in motion. The stakeholders will now be hoping for the upcoming event to trump the success of the past.
ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take on Bangladesh Army FT in the opening fixture on August 3.
Full Groupings of Durand Cup 2023:
Group A: Bangladesh Army Football Team, East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Punjab FC.
Group B: Indian Navy Football Team, Jamshedpur FC, Mohammedan SC, Mumbai City FC.
Group C: Bengaluru FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Indian Air Force Football Team, Kerala Blasters FC.
Group D: Downtown Heroes FC, FC Goa, NorthEast United FC, Shillong Lajong FC.
Group E: Chennaiyin FC, Delhi FC, Hyderabad FC, Tribhuwan Army FC.
Group F: Indian Army Football Team, Bodoland FC, Odisha FC, Rajasthan United FC.
Complete fixture list of Durand Cup 2023
Group A will witness the famous Kolkata derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant on August 18.
Meanwhile, in Group B, two ISL Shield winners Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC will square off on August 8.
The Group C headliner will be the revival of the rivalry between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters at the Kishore Bharati Stadium on August 18.
The knockout stages will begin on August 24 while the tournament will come to a close on September 3.
