The Club Licensing Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the teams that have secured the license to participate in the Indian Super League (ISL) and the AFC club competitions.
I-League champions RoundGlass Punjab FC have met the club licensing criteria and, as a result, are officially promoted to the ISL for the upcoming season.
Prior to the 2023-24 season, clubs were required to apply and meet certain conditions in order to compete in the major competitions. All ISL clubs, including Punjab FC, filed for the "ICLS Premier 1" license, whereas I-League clubs applied for the "ICLS Premier 2" license.
The AIFF revealed that nine ISL clubs - Mumbai City FC, ATK Mohun Bagan FC, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters FC, and Punjab FC - have been granted the license, while East Bengal FC, Hyderabad FC, and NorthEast United FC did not secure the license as they failed to meet multiple “A” Criteria.
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The three clubs, however, can apply for an exemption within a stipulated time to participate in the Indian Super League for the upcoming season. The AIFF has also stated that the committee will reconvene to decide on the ILCS Premier 2 license for I-League clubs.
The ISL clubs that will participate in the 2023-24 AFC competitions
Three teams earned their place in the AFC competitions for the 2023-24 campaign through qualifiers. First up, 2022-23 ISL Shield winners Mumbai City FC faced 2021-22 Shield winners Jamshedpur FC for a position in the AFC Champions League group stages.
The Islanders breezed past the Red Miners to book their spot in Asia’s most prestigious club competition. Meanwhile, 2021-22 I-League champions Gokulam Kerala squared off against the 2023 Hero Super Cup champions Odisha FC for a place in the 2023-24 AFC Cup.
The Juggernauts, coached by Clifford Miranda, beat Gokulam Kerala with a 2-1 scoreline and are set to compete in an AFC competition for the first time in their history.
In the final Hero Club playoffs, ISL 2022-23 champions Mohun Bagan Super Giants locked horns against 2021-22 champions Hyderabad FC for a place in the preliminary round of the AFC Cup.
The Mariners once again overcame the Nizams via penalty shootouts and will enter the qualifying play-off round to set foot in the AFC Cup.
