I-League 3 or the 3rd Division League will form the fourth division of the Indian men’s football league system starting from this season. The decision to introduce the league was announced by AIFF on 13 June 2023. The champion clubs of state leagues and also nominated clubs will participate in I-League 3. The federation wants to create a competitive pyramid with a concrete progression pathway, aimed to allow even the smallest of clubs to get promoted to the higher divisions.
Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra are the nine states that have fulfilled the criteria for nominating teams, AIFF declared in a meeting held in August. The fixtures and formats were declared on 24th September 2023 with 24 clubs participating in the inaugural edition. The teams have been divided into four groups of six. The group stage matches will begin from 22nd October 2023 to 9th November 2023.
Group A
Lake City Football Club (Madhya Pradesh)
International Football Club Phagwara (Punjab)
New Friends Club Dantewada (Chhattisgarh)
Sporting Club de Goa (Goa)
Vatika FC (Delhi)
Diamond Harbour FC (West Bengal)
I-League 3rd Division 2023 Group A Fixtures
27 October 2023
Sporting Club de Goa vs Vatika FC - Jargan Lake City University (09:00)
Lake City FC vs Diamond Harbour FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
28 October 2023
IFC Phagwara vs NFC Dantewada - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
30 October 2023
NFC Dantewada vs Lake City FC - Jargan Lake City University (09:00)
IFC Phagwara vs Sporting Club de Goa - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
31 October 2023
Vatika FC vs Diamond Harbour FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
2 November 2023
Sporting Club de Goa vs Lake City FC - Jargan Lake City University (09:00)
IFC Phagwara vs Vatika FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
3 November 2023
NFC Dantewada vs Diamond Harbour FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
5 November 2023
NFC Dantewada vs Vatika FC - Jargan Lake City University (09:00)
Sporting Club de Goa vs Diamond Harbour FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
6 November 2023
Lake City FC vs IFC Phagwara - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
8 November 2023
Sporting Club de Goa vs NFC Dantewada - Jargan Lake City University (09:00)
Diamond Harbour FC vs IFC Phagwara - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
9 November 2023
Vatika FC vs Lake City FC - Jargan Lake City University (16:00)
The matches will be hosted in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Group B
Baroda FC (Gujarat)
Garhwal FC (Delhi)
Jaipur Elite FC (Rajasthan)
Abbas Union FC (Telengana)
Kerala United FC (Kerala)
Doaba United FC (Punjab)
I-League 3rd Division 2023 Group B Fixtures
22 October 2023
Abbas Union FC vs Kerala United FC - VMC Sports Complex (09:00)
Baroda FC vs Doaba United FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
23 October 2023
Garhwal FC vs Jaipur Elite FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
25 October 2023
Jaipur Elite FC vs Baroda FC - VMC Sports Complex (09:00)
Garhwal FC vs Abbas Union FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
26 October 2023
Kerala United FC vs Doaba United FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
28 October 2023
Abbas Union FC vs Baroda FC - VMC Sports Complex (09:00)
Garhwal FC vs Kerala United FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
29 October 2023
Jaipur Elite FC vs Doaba United FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
31 October 2023
Jaipur Elite FC vs Kerala United FC - VMC Sports Complex (09:00)
Abbas Union FC vs Doaba United FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
1 November 2023
Baroda FC vs Garhwal FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
3 November 2023
Abbas Union FC vs Jaipur Elite FC - VMC Sports Complex (09:00)
Doaba United FC vs Garhwal FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
4 November 2023
Kerala United FC vs Baroda FC - VMC Sports Complex (16:00)
The matches will be held in Vadodara, Gujarat.
Group C
RKM Football Academy (Chhattisgarh)
Sporting Club Bengaluru (Karnataka)
Klasa FC (Manipur)
Jeppiaar Institute of Technology (Tamil Nadu)
United Chirag Duar FC (Assam)
Sports Odisha (Odisha)
I-League 3rd Division 2023 Group C Fixtures
23 October 2023
JITFC vs United Chirag Duar FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
RKM Football Academy vs Sports Odisha - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
24 October 2023
Sporting Club Bengaluru vs Klasa FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
26 October 2023
Klasa FC vs RKM Football Academy - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
Sporting Club Bengaluru vs JITFC - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
27 October 2023
United Chirag Duar FC vs Sports Odisha - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
29 October 2023
JITFC vs RKM Football Academy - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
Sporting Club Bengaluru vs United Chirag Duar FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
30 October 2023
Klasa FC vs Sports Odisha - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
1 November 2023
Klasa FC vs United Chirag Duar FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
JITFC vs Sports Odisha - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
2 November 2023
RKM Football Academy vs Sports Odisha - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
4 November 2023
JITFC vs Klasa FC - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
United Chirag Duar FC vs RKM Football Academy - Bangalore Football Stadium (16:00)
5 November 2023
Sports Odisha vs Sporting Club Bengaluru - Bangalore Football Stadium (09:00)
The matches are to be played in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Group D
Dempo SC (Goa)
ARA FC (Ahmedabad)
Kickstart FC (Karnataka)
Millat FC (Maharashtra)
Bhawanipore FC (West Bengal)
Rangdajied United FC (Meghalaya)
The matches will take place in Goa
I-League 3rd Division 2023 Group D Fixtures
25 October 2023
Millat FC vs Bhawanipore FC - Dempo Football Academy (09:00)
Dempo SC vs Rangdajied United FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
26 October 2023
ARA FC vs Kickstart FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
28 October 2023
Kickstart FC vs Dempo SC - Dempo Football Academy (09:00)
ARA FC vs Millat FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
29 October 2023
Bhawanipore FC vs Rangdajied United FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
31 October 2023
Millat FC vs Dempo SC - Dempo Football Academy (09:00)
ARA FC vs Bhawanipore FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
1 November 2023
Kickstart FC vs Rangdajied United FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
3 November 2023
Kickstart FC vs Bhawanipore FC - Dempo Football Academy (09:00)
Millat FC vs Rangdajied United FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
4 November 2023
Dempo SC vs ARA FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
6 November 2023
Millat FC vs Kickstart FC - Dempo Football Academy (09:00)
Rangdajied United FC vs ARA FC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
7 November 2023
Bhawanipore FC vs Dempo SC - Dempo Football Academy (16:00)
Note: All Timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST)
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