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The I-League Qualifiers 2021 are all set to kick-off at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bengaluru on October 4. The qualifying matches, which will see 10 teams participating, will conclude on October 23.
The participating clubs, vying for a spot in the I-League, have been divided into two groups of five each. In Group A, the first match will feature two debutants - Madan Maharaj FC and Hyderya Sports Kashmir FC - squaring off. Meanwhile, action from Group B kicks-off a day later with Kerala United FC taking on Kenkre Sports.
Read: FC Bengaluru United retains 13 players for the upcoming season
As per the tournament format, the group stage will see two matches being played on a daily basis. The first one will be at 12:30 PM IST, while the second match will take place at 3:45 PM IST.
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Format of the I-League qualifiers
A total of 26 matches are set to be played in the entire tournament. 20 of these will be in the group stage, while six matches will be played in the final round. The teams finishing at the top of the two groups will proceed to the final round, where they will play against each other once in a round-robin format.
The team that finishes top at the end of all 26 matches will earn promotion to the I-League for the 2021-22 season.
The venues and kick-off timings for the final matchdays of Group A, Group B, and the final round will be decided on the basis of the group stage standings of the respective teams at that time.
I-League Qualifers 2021 Group Draws
Group A: Rajasthan United FC, Hyderya Sports Kashmir FC, Ryntih SC, Madan Maharaj FC, FC Bengaluru United.
Group B: Corbett FC, Kenkre Sports, ARA FC, Kerala United FC, Delhi FC.
India vs Nepal friendlies to be live-streamed on official Facebook page
Meanwhile, the two back-to-back international friendlies between India and Nepal will be live-streamed on the Indian Football team’s official Facebook page – @TheIndianFootballTeam. The matches will be played at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu.
While the first international friendly is slated to be held on September 2, the second will be played on September 5. The kick-off time for both the matches is 5:15 pm IST.
Also Read: "This is an excellent opportunity for us to improve as a team", says Sunil Chhetri
