Bhubaneswar (Odisha), March 5 : The Super Cup 2025, the annual premier football cup competition in India, will be played in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from April 21, the All India Football Federation announced on Wednesday.

The 16-team premier club competition will be played in a knock-out format, different from the previous years when it was played in a group stage followed by the knockouts. All 13 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs and three I-League clubs will participate in the fifth edition of the tournament.

The winner previously secured a spot in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Cup, but now, will earn the chance to compete in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League 2 (ACL2) Playoffs, providing an opportunity for Indian clubs to make their mark on the continental stage.

The Super Cup succeeded the Federation Cup in 2018, and three of its last four editions have taken place in Bhubaneswar. Bengaluru FC won the inaugural edition in 2018, followed by FC Goa the very next year. Odisha FC won the tournament after a three-year hiatus in 2023.

In the 2024 edition of the tournament, known as the Kalinga Super Cup, East Bengal ended 12 years of hurt, as they won their first silverware in as many years, defeating Odisha FC 3-2 after extra time at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

With the 2024-25 ISL season set to end with only two game weeks left, the Super Cup will be played after the playoffs in India's premier domestic competition.

There was a lot of criticism towards the organisers for the delay in the announcement of whether the tournament will take place or not. India and FC Goa head coach, Manolo Marquez, believed the country must improve in this aspect.

"This is the one aspect that India must improve. We need to know the schedule, the calendar, and the fixtures so that you can plan how to train, when to provide rest, and when you can push the players (to train more). It's important to know because of the physical aspect and health of players,' said Manolo.

/IANS