The 2022 Durand Cup will be the 131st edition of the Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia and the third oldest football competition in the world. This year for the first time the tournament will be played in more than one venue and multiple cities. The tournament is hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society in cooperation with the Eastern Command of the Indian Armed Forces and the Government of West Bengal and supported by the Government of Assam and the Government of Manipur.
This is the first season of the tournament wherein every club in the top tier Indian Super League has been mandated to participate, along with 5 selected clubs from the second division I-League, and the four teams representing the armed forces. Here is all you need to know about the upcoming edition of the Durand Cup.
History of the Durand Cup
Founded and named after Mortimer Durand, a foreign secretary to British India, it was initially conducted as a tournament for different departments and regiments of the Armed forces of British India. It was opened to civilians only later. After India’s independence, the Indian Armed Forces remained in charge of the competition. Mortimer Durand started the Durand Cup in Shimla in 1888. In 1940, the venue of the tournament was shifted to the capital New Delhi.
Durand Cup winners are presented with three trophies (President’s Cup, Shimla Cup, and the Durand Cup). Mohun Bagan and East Bengal SC are the joint most successful clubs in Durand Cup with both the Kolkata Giants having won 16 titles each. FC Goa is the defending champions, having defeated Mohammedan SC in the final of Durand Cup 2021.
Tournament Format
The tournament will be played by 20 teams. 11 Indian Super League teams, 5 I-League teams, and 4 teams from the Army and reserved forces will compete for the glory. In the group stages, the 20 participating teams will be divided into 4 groups, with each group consisting of 5 teams. The top two finishing teams from each group in the group stages will qualify for the quarterfinal stages.
The four teams that will win their respective quarterfinal matches will qualify for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, two teams will prevail over the four remaining teams to make it to the 2022 Durand Cup final. The team that will win the final will become the champions of the 131st edition of the Durand Cup.
The Groups
Below are all the four groups and the teams that have been drawn into it for the group stages of the 2022 Durand Cup.
In Group A, ISL sides FC Goa, Bengaluru FC, and Jamshedpur FC have been grouped along with I-League side Mohammedan SC and the Indian Air Force. All the group stage matches in Group A will take place in Kolkata, West Bengal.
In Group B, ISL sides East Bengal, ATK Mohun Bagan, and Mumbai City FC have been grouped along with I-League side Rajasthan United FC and the Indian Navy. All the group stage matches in Group B will take place in Kolkata, West Bengal.
In Group C, ISL sides Chennaiyin FC, and Hyderabad FC has been grouped along with I-League sides Neroca FC and Trau FC. The group also involves the Army Red side. All the group stage matches in Group C will take place in Imphal, Manipur.
In Group D, ISL sides Kerala Blasters FC, NorthEast United FC, and Odisha FC have been grouped along with I-League side Sudeva Delhi FC and the Army Green team. All the group stage matches in Group D will take place in Guwahati, Assam.
| Group | A | B | C | D |
| Team 1 | Bengaluru FC | ATK Mohun Bagan | Chennaiyin FC | Odisha FC |
| Team 2 | FC Goa | East Bengal | Army Red | Kerala Blasters |
| Team 3 | Indian Air Force | Mumbai City FC | Hyderabad FC | NorthEast United |
| Team 4 | Jamshedpur FC | Rajasthan United | NEROCA FC | Army Green |
| Team 5 | Mohammedan | Indian Navy | TRAU FC | Sudeva Delhi |
The Venues
A total of 47 matches are to be played across 3 states: West Bengal, Assam, and Manipur, with 27 matches to be played in West Bengal, including the knock-out fixtures, and 10 matches each to be played in Assam and Manipur. The matches will take place in 4 venues. In West Bengal, Kolkata will be the host city and will include three venues. While in Assam the host city will be Guwahati and for Manipur, the host city will be Imphal. Below are some of the details about each stadium that will be hosting the matches.
1) Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan – Also known as VYBK or the Salt Lake Stadium. It is the biggest football stadium in both Kolkata and India and can seat as many as 85,000 spectators. It is one of the iconic stadiums of not just India but the Asian continent. It has hosted all types of matches in different Indian football leagues in the past from ISL, and I-League to the old days NFL and more. Presently it is the home stadium of ISL clubs ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and I-League side Mohammedan SC.
The Salt Lake Stadium has also hosted many international matches like the U17 FIFA World Cup, AFC Cup matches, FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, and more. In the past, legendary players like Diego Maradona, Pele, Lionel Messi, Arjen Robben, and a hundred other top foreign footballers and clubs have played in this legendary stadium. The Indian National team also plays its matches here.
2) Kishore Bharati Krirangan – The second stadium from Kolkata is the Kishore Bharati Stadium or Mukundupur Stadium. The stadium was renovated in 2021 for hosting the I-League games. It has a seating capacity of around 12,000 spectators.
3) Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium – It is located in Guwahati in the state of Assam. It is also known as Sarusajai Stadium and it has a total seating capacity of 25,000 people. It is also the home ground of ISL club NorthEast United FC. In the past, it has hosted FIFA U17 World Cup matches, ISL matches, I-League games, and even AFC club and national team competition matches.
4) Khuman Lampak Main Stadium – The stadium is in Imphal, Manipur. It was built in the year 1999 and is part of the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of approximately 35,285 people. It is the home ground of I-League side Neroca FC and TRAU FC. It has hosted many I-League matches in the past. It is mainly used for football matches and athletics events.
The Group Stage Matches Fixtures
Below are the details of all the matches in the group stages of the 2022 Durand Cup. The group stage will begin on 16th August with the Kolkata Derby and it will end on 5th September. The quarterfinals and semi-finals matches will be played after the conclusion of the group stages. The final game of the competition will take place on 18th September at the Salt Lake Stadium.
DURAND CUP 2022 GROUP STAGE SCHEDULE
| Date | Match Fixture | Group | Time (IST) | Venue | City |
| August 16 | Mohammedan SC vs FC Goa | A | 7 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 17 | Jamshedpur FC vs FC Bengaluru | A | 2:30 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 17 | NorthEast United vs Odisha FC | D | 5:30 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 18 | Mumbai City vs Indian Navy | B | 3 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 18 | NEROCA vs TRAU | C | 6 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 19 | FC Goa vs Indian Air Force | A | 3 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 19 | Sudeva Delhi vs Kerala Blasters | D | 6 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 20 | Chennaiyin FC vs Army Red | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 20 | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Rajasthan United | B | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 21 | NorthEast United vs Army Green | D | 3 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 21 | Mohammedan vs Jamshedpur FC | A | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 22 | TRAU vs Hyderabad FC | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 22 | East Bengal vs India Navy | B | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 23 | Odisha vs Kerala Blasters | D | 3 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 23 | Bengaluru FC vs Indian Air Force | A | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 24 | Army Red vs NEROCA | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 24 | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City | B | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 25 | Army Green vs Sudeva Delhi | D | 3 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 25 | East Bengal vs Rajasthan United | B | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 26 | Hyderabad FC vs Chennaiyin FC | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 26 | Jamshedpur FC vs FC Goa | A | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 27 | Mohammedan vs Indian Air Force | A | 3 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 27 | NorthEast United vs Kerala Blasters | D | 6 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 28 | TRAU vs Army Red | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 28 | East Bengal vs ATK Mohun Bagan | B | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 29 | Mumbai City vs Rajasthan United | B | 3 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| August 29 | Odisha FC vs Sudeva Delhi | D | 6 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 30 | NEROCA vs Hyderabad FC | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| August 30 | Bengaluru FC vs FC Goa | A | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| August 31 | Kerala Blasters vs Army Green | D | 3 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| August 31 | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Indian Navy | B | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| 1st Sept | TRAU vs Chennaiyin FC | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| 1st Sept | Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Air Force | A | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| 2nd Sept | NorthEast United vs Sudeva Delhi | D | 3 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| 2nd Sept | Mohammedan vs Bengaluru FC | A | 6 PM | VYBK | Kolkata |
| 3rd Sept | Army Red vs Hyderabad FC | C | 3 PM | KLS | Imphal |
| 3rd Sept | East Bengal vs Mumbai City | B | 6 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| 4th Sept | Army Green vs Odisha FC | D | 6 PM | IGAS | Guwahati |
| 5th Sept | Rajasthan United vs Indian Navy | B | 3 PM | KBK | Kolkata |
| 5th Sept | NEROCA vs Chennaiyin FC | C | 6 PM | KLS | Imphal |
The Stadium Abbreviations for the above table are as follows:-
Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) from Kolkata.
Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (IGAS) from Guwahati.
Kishore Bharati Krirangan (KBK) from Kolkata.
Khuman Lampak Stadium (KLS) from Imphal
You can also look at this tweet below to see the matches by each group for a better understanding of the Durand Cup 2022 group stage fixtures.
Match Telecast and Live Streaming Details
All the matches throughout the Durand Cup 2022 tournament will likely be telecasted on the Sports 18 TV channels. Meanwhile, all the matches will be live streamed online on the OTT platform through the Voot app. Fans can also watch the matches online on Jio TV.
For more details about telecast and streaming see this tweet below.
IFTWC’s opinion on the Durand Cup 2022
The Durand Cup 2022 will be a blessing for Indian Football as it will be an important factor in increasing the game time for the domestic players. Generally, Indian players play around 20 games in a season, but from next season the Indian football calendar will be extended from the current five months duration to a nine-month-long calendar.
With the addition of the Durand Cup and Super Cup and the ISL as well as the I-League the clubs will be guaranteed a minimum of 30 games per season. The clubs that will be able to reach the finals in Durand Cup, Super Cup, and the ISL will likely be playing 37 matches in a season. The figure is close to 40 matches and it is a commendable number for the maximum game time and development of the Indian players. Also, the clubs that will be taking part in Asian competitions like the (AFC Cup/AFC Champions League) can easily exceed the 40 games per season mark if they compete in the group stages.
Also since the ISL and the I-League will begin right after the end of the Durand Cup hence the tournament will be a great opportunity for every ISL and I-League head coach to experiment with their roster and have a reality check on the team’s strengths and weaknesses right before the commencement of the 2022-23 ISL and I-League season.
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