The 2023–24 Indian Super League kicks off with Kerala Blasters triumphing over Bengaluru FC.
The highly anticipated 10th edition of India’s premier football league, the Indian Super League (ISL) for the 2023–24 season, commenced on September 21 and will continue until March 2024. The inaugural match witnessed a riveting showdown as the Kerala Blasters hosted former champions Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.
In a dramatic turn of events, six months after their controversial exit from the playoffs, the Kerala Blasters emerged victorious against their arch-rivals Bengaluru FC. The match saw an unfortunate own goal from Veendorp and a significant error from Gurpreet that contributed to the Blues’ downfall. While Curtis Main’s goal was a valiant effort to revive Bengaluru’s prospects, it ultimately fell short of securing a win.
The Kerala Blasters exhibited unwavering determination to maintain their lead, with their skipper Adrian Luna’s exceptional performance sealing their first victory of the season.
Notably, the 2022–23 I-League champions, Punjab FC, have earned promotion to the top tier and are among the 12 teams competing in this season. This marks the first ISL season to feature 12 teams.
The matches will follow a home-and-away format across 11 venues, with arch-rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal playing their home games at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
A significant incentive awaits the team finishing atop the league standings, as they will secure entry into the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2. Additionally, the top two teams will directly qualify for the ISL 2023–24 semi-finals, while teams ranked from third to sixth will contend for the remaining two spots through eliminators.
Irish Samachar English News
Kindly click the link below to join WhatsApp group chat to get important news and breaking news from Irish Samachar.