The 2018 Super Cup was the inaugural edition of the Super Cup and the 39th season of the national knockout football competition in India. The competition was sponsored by Hero MotoCorp and is officially known as the Hero Super Cup. The Super Cup replaced the Federation Cup as the national knockout competition.[1][2] The competition began with the qualifiers on 15 March 2018 and concluded with the final on 20 April 2018.[3] The entire tournament took place in the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.[3]

2018 Super Cup
Kalinga Stadium hosted the final on 20 April 2018
Tournament details
Country India
Venue(s)Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
Dates15 – 16 Match (qualifiers)
31 March – 20 April (main competition)
Teams20
Final positions
ChampionsBengaluru (1st title)
Runner-upEast Bengal
Tournament statistics
Matches played19
Goals scored67 (3.53 per match)
Attendance53,969 (2,840 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Sunil Chhetri (6 goals)
Best playerMiku

The competition featured teams from both the I-League and the Indian Super League.[4] Both leagues contain 10 teams each; the top six teams from both qualified for the tournament automatically, while the bottom four sides contested in the qualifiers.[4]

Bengaluru won the title by defeating East Bengal in the final.

Teams edit

A total of 16 teams are participating in the competition proper.[4] The top six teams from both the I-League and Indian Super League qualified for the Super Cup automatically while the bottom four sides have participated in the qualifiers.[4]

Qualification round
(8 teams)[note 1]
Main competition
(12 teams)[note 2]
I-League
Indian Super League
I-League
Indian Super League

Schedule edit

On 12 March 2018, the All India Football Federation announced the schedule and full format of the tournament.[5] Due to the participation of Aizawl and Bengaluru in the AFC Cup, the schedule for the quarter-finals shall be decided at a later date.[5]

Phase Round Match dates
Qualification round 15–16 March 2018
Main tournament Round of 16 31 March – 6 April 2018
Quarter-finals 8–13 April 2018
Semi-finals 16–17 April 2018
Final 20 April 2018

Bracket edit

 
Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
31 March
 
 
Aizawl (pen.)2 (5)
 
8 April
 
Chennaiyin 2 (3)
 
Aizawl0
 
5 April
 
East Bengal1
 
East Bengal2
 
16 April
 
Mumbai City1
 
East Bengal1
 
2 April
 
Goa0
 
Minerva Punjab0 (4)
 
12 April
 
Jamshedpur (pen.)0 (5)
 
Jamshedpur1
 
3 April
 
Goa5
 
Goa3
 
20 April
 
ATK1
 
East Bengal1
 
1 April
 
Bengaluru4
 
Churchill Brothers1
 
11 April
 
Mohun Bagan2
 
Mohun Bagan3
 
4 April
 
Shillong Lajong1
 
Pune City2
 
17 April
 
Shillong Lajong3
 
Mohun Bagan2
 
1 April
 
Bengaluru4
 
Bengaluru2
 
13 April
 
Gokulam Kerala1
 
Bengaluru3
 
6 April
 
NEROCA1
 
NEROCA3
 
 
Kerala Blasters2
 

Qualification round edit

After the conclusion of the I-League and Indian Super League seasons, the All India Football Federation announced the draw for the qualification round of the Super Cup.[6]

Delhi Dynamos1–2 (a.e.t.)Churchill Brothers
Uche   6' Report Plaza   34', 106'
Attendance: 2,000

NorthEast United0–2Gokulam Kerala
Report Kisekka   43', 74'
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar

Mumbai City2–1 (a.e.t.)Indian Arrows
Emaná   90' (pen.)
Santos   104'
Report Praveen   77'
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Ajitkumar Lairenlakpam

ATK4–1Chennai City
Sharma   37'
Zequinha   58'
Mehta   76'
Keane   83'
Report Joachim   45+7'
Attendance: 3,000

Round of 16 edit

The All India Football Federation announced the draw for the round of 16 of the competition on 12 March 2018.[7]

Chennaiyin2–2 (a.e.t.)Aizawl
Alves   89'
D. Singh   114'
Report Ionescu   22', 91'
Penalties
3–5
Attendance: 5,000

Bengaluru2–1Gokulam Kerala
Miku   69'
U. Singh   90+2'
Report Kisekka   33'
Attendance: 4,233
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar

Churchill Brothers1–2Mohun Bagan
Plaza   30' Report Dipanda   45+3' (pen.), 70'
Attendance: 8,120
Referee: Venkatesh R

Minerva Punjab0–0 (a.e.t.)Jamshedpur
Report
Penalties
4–5
Attendance: 3,256
Referee: Santosh Kumar

Goa3–1ATK
Coro   45+1'
Boumous   70'
Fernandes   77'
Report Keane   50'
Attendance: 2,583

Pune City2–3Shillong Lajong
Lucca   17'
Marcelinho   21'
Report Koffi   29'
Pradhan   61'
Lalmuanpuia   90+2' (pen.)

Mumbai City1–2East Bengal
Emaná   22' Report Yusa   26'
Amnah   73'
Attendance: 4,354
Referee: Venkatesh R

NEROCA3–2Kerala Blasters
Joachim   68'
Williams   79'
Odili   81' (pen.)
Report Pulga   11'
Prasanth   49'
Attendance: 1,865

Quarter-finals edit

The dates for the quarter-final matches were scheduled to be announced at a later date to accommodate AFC Cup commitments of Aizawl and Bengaluru.[7] After Aizawl and Bengaluru advanced to the quarter-finals, the following fixtures were confirmed for the quarter-finals.[8] During the game between Jamshedpur FC and FC Goa, six players (three each from both the teams) were sent off at the half-time for violent conduct.[9] In the games against NEROCA F.C., Sunil Chhetri scored the first hat-trick of the tournament.

Aizawl0–1East Bengal
Report Ralte   90+6' (pen.)
Attendance: 3,286

Mohun Bagan3–1Shillong Lajong
Report
Attendance: 4,200
Referee: Santosh Kumar

Jamshedpur1–5Goa
Report
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Venkatesh R

Bengaluru3–1NEROCA
Report
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar

Semi-finals edit

The semi-finals were played on 16 April and 17 April 2018 at the Kalinga Stadium.[7]

East Bengal1–0Goa
Dudu   78' Report
Attendance: 4,200
Referee: Santosh Kumar

Mohun Bagan2–4Bengaluru
Report
Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar

Final edit

The final was played on 20 April 2018 at the Kalinga Stadium and Bengaluru won the inaugural Super Cup by defeating East Bengal in the final.[7]

East Bengal1–4Bengaluru
Kromah   28' Report Bheke   39'
Chhetri   69' (pen.), 90+1'
Miku   71'
Attendance: 9,500
Referee: C. R. Srikrishna (Tamil Nadu)

Goalscorers edit

6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Indian football calendar for 2024-25 season announced". Khel Now. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  2. ^ Hussain, Sabi (24 January 2018). "Super Cup set to be a 16-team affair". Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Saharoy, Shilarze (12 March 2018). "Chennaiyin to face Aizawl in Super Cup on March 31". Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Inaugural Super Cup's final round from Mar 31-Apr 22: AIFF". Times of India. 19 February 2018. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Final Round of Hero Super Cup to Kick-off on March 31". The All India Football Federation. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Bhubaneswar to host Super Cup". Times of India. 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  7. ^ a b c d "Super Cup Draw Announced, Final Round to Kick Off on March 31". The All India Football Federation. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Super Cup - Fixtures and Results". Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Super Cup 2018: Red cards spoil the contest as five-star FC Goa thrash Jamshedpur". 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.

Notes edit

  1. ^ Teams listed based on final position in either I-League or Indian Super League.
  2. ^ Teams listed based on final position in either I-League or Indian Super League.

External links edit