Bhubaneswar: Odisha FC (OFC) will lock horns with Hyderabad FC (HFC) November 23 to kick off their campaign in the Indian Super League (ISL). The fixtures of the first 11 rounds were announced by the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), Friday.
OFC have made several changes to their squad this season. Appointing Stuart Baxter is the biggest change OFC have made. The appointment came after last season’s coach Josep Gombau stepped down of his post sighting family reasons.
All eyes will be on new signing Marcelinho because of his exploits in the ISL in previous seasons. Shubham Sarangi, one of the only two Odia players, will also look to carry on his impressive form.
Marking the return of the first major live sporting action in the country, ISL will kick off with the defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan squaring off against Kerala Blasters FC, November 20, at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa.
New entrants SC East Bengal will make their ISL debut playing in one of the oldest rivalries in Asian football – the Kolkata Derby. For the first time in ISL, SC East Bengal face ATK Mohun Bagan in the biggest spectacle of Indian football November 27, at the Tilak Maidan Stadium.
ISL embarks on a unique season with the entire league to be played behind closed doors under a bio-secure bubble in Goa across three venues – JL Nehru Stadium (Fatorda), GMC Stadium (Bambolim) and Tilak Maidan (Vasco).
The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December post clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions matches.
PNN
