Stafford Challenge Cup kicks off tomorrow

Stafford Challenge Cup, the once-elite football tournament of South India makes a comeback after three decades tomorrow, Thursday, February 23, 2023. The 12-day long tournament will see 15 teams distributed in 4 groups, with the winner from each group advancing to the knockout round.

With some players just coming off a tough Santosh Trophy pre-final round , most others will be using the event to prepare for the upcoming I-League 2 competition. 

BDFA Super Division teams FC Bengaluru United, Kickstart FC, Bengaluru FC (Reserves), MEG, FC Deccan, Roots FC, ASC will be seen in action. 

Gokulam and Roots open the action at 1.30 pm at the Bangalore Football Stadium while in the second game at 4.00 pm, Dempo Goa will meet MEG.

Group A – FC Bengaluru United, MEG, Dempo FC, Goa, FC Deccan
Group B – Roots FC, ASC, Gokulam Kerala FC 
Group C – Bengaluru FC (Reserves), Kenkre FC Mumbai, Sreenidhi Deccan FC, Delhi FC 
Group D – Kickstart FC, Chennaiyin FC (Reserves), ARA FC, Ahmedabad, Kerala United FC

FIXTURE

Group A

• Feb 23, 4 PM – Dempo FC 1 (Shreyash Gajanan Naik-86') Vs MEG 1 (Ayush-16') 
• Feb 25, 9:30 AM – MEG 2 (Shaik Muzeeb-35', 60') Vs FC Deccan 1 (Sachidananda S-42') 
• Feb 25, 4 PM – FC Bengaluru United 4 (Selwyn Frazer Miranda-6', Irfan Yadwad-33', Subha Ghosh-89', Aenam Graffenberg Jurwa-90'+1') Vs Dempo 0 
• Feb 27, 9:30 AM – FC Bengaluru United 4 (Irfan Yadwad-2', Selwyn Frazier Miranda-27', Subha Ghosh-58', Nikhil Mali-68') Vs MEG 1 (Imnaakum -84'[P])  
• Feb 27, 1:30 PM – Dempo 2 (Vinay Vijay Harji-74', Asmon Mevon Viegas-77') Vs  FC Deccan 0
• Mar 1, 9 AM – FC Bengaluru United 2 (Irfan Yadwad-11', 17') Vs FC Deccan 0 

Group B

• Feb 23, 1:30 PM – Gokulam Kerala FC 1 (Samuel Mensah Konney-87') Vs Roots FC 1 (Yohan Victor Britto-64') 
• Feb 25, 1:30 PM – ASC 3 (Shakti Gurung-15', Ajendra Singh-35', Alwin E-82') Vs Gokulam Kerala FC 2 (Samuel Mansah Konney-14', 24')  
• Feb 27, 4 PM – ASC 2 (Khundongbam Somananda Singh-55', Francis Zonuntluanga-90'+5' [P]) Vs Roots FC 0  

Group C

• Feb 24, 8:15 AM – Bengaluru FC 1 (Harmanpreet Singh-15') Vs Sreenidhi Deccan FC 1 (Kharch Khup Hangzo-68')    
• Feb 24, 4 PM – Delhi FC 1 (Gaurav Rawat-54) Vs Kenkre FC 0   
• Feb 26, 8:15 AM – Sreenidhi Deccan FC 2 (Pauminthang Munsong-21',  VineethKumar Velmurugan-62') Vs Kenkre FC 0   
• Feb 26, 1:30 PM – Delhi FC 2 (Fahd Temuri-90+5', Amay Morajkar-62'[OG]) Vs Bengaluru FC 1 (Leon Augustine-9')  
• Feb 28, 11:55 AM – Kenkre FC 1 (Jay Bhavanani-42'[P]) Vs Bengaluru FC 0  
• Feb 28, 1:30 PM – Delhi FC 3 (Gaurav Rawat-48', Fahad Temuri-74', Ajay Singh-81') Vs Sreenidhi Deccan FC 2 ( Vineeth Kumar Velmurugan-46', Aditya Tomar-87') 

Group D

• Feb 24, 10:45 AM – Chennaiyin FC 1 (Senthamil S -22') Vs ARA FC 0  
• Feb 24, 1:15 PM – Kickstart FC 3 (Edwin Rossorio-55', Sathish Kumar-61', Muzamiri Abdallah MTanga-84') Vs Kerala United FC 2 (Rahul M-12'[OG], Akmal Shan-42')
• Feb 26, 10:55 AM – Kickstart FC 2 (Edwin Rossario-61', Bikash Yumnam-82'[OG]) Vs Chennaiyin FC 2 (Senthamil S-15', Moirongthem Givson Singh-45'+2') 
• Feb 26, 4 PM – ARA FC 5 (Shanid Valan-5', Naro Hari Shrestha-38', Yami Longvoh-45'+3', Fredson Marshall-79' [P], Pratik Swami-87') Vs Kerala United FC 0  
• Feb 28, 8:15 AM (HAL ground) – Chennaiyin FC 9 (Joseph Lalvenhima-22', Niketh N-41', Vipul Velayudhan-45'[OG], Moirangthem Givson Singh-51', Senthamil S-66', 90'+3', Solaimalai R-73', Chris Anthoy White-82', Rahul Manjula-90') Vs Kerala United FC 0 
• Feb 28, 8:15 AM – Kickstart FC 3 (Muzamiri Abdullah MTanga-45'+3'[P], 58', Finto-6') Vs ARA FC 1 (Naro Hari Shrestha-90'+67'[P])  

Semifinals

• Mar 3, 3:30 PM – Chennaiyin FC - Gr D Winner 2 (Givson Singh-18', Sajal Bag-45'+3') Tie-breaker 4 - Sajal Bag, Senthamil Elangbam, Tondon Meitei, Chris Anthoy White Vs Delhi FC - Gr C Winner 2 (Fahad Temuri-67'[P], 90'+2') Penalty 2 - Fahad Temuri, Karndeep Singh 
• Mar 4, 3:30 PM –  FCBU - Group A Winner 3 (Irfan Yadwad-45'[P], 49', 51') Vs ASC - Gr B Winner) 2 (Ajendra Singh-61', Khundongbam Samananda Singh-80')  

Final 

• Mar 6, 4 PM – Chennaiyin FC 1 (Senthamil S -71') Vs FC Bengaluru United 2 (Vinil Poojary-31', Irfan Yadwad-90'+3)