The 2023/24 season for Indian football is unique considering the number of competitions being played both at the club and international levels. Managing the schedule was always going to be tricky and the battle between the board and the league with the squad selection for Asian Games was an indication of it. The ISL season was already brought forward to September due to the men’s national team's participation in the AFC Asian Cup in January of next year and several other tournaments lined up for preparation beforehand.
The league already have stoppages for the Merdeka Cup and the World Cup Qualifiers so players getting released for a non-mandatory competition in the Asian Games which is not in the FIFA window made the situation complex. Postponing the already congested schedule could not be an option anymore with India forced to go to the Asian Games with a depleted squad. Only FC Goa versus Hyderabad FC was shifted to a latter due to key players that went from these teams.
However, this time ISL is made to reshuffle certain games in October due to unrestricted public events occurring at the same time. AFC games will be readjusted as well for the occasion. In Kolkata, Durga Puja celebrations will start from 20th October so security will be a big issue during the festival. Added to that, the Men’s Cricket World Cup, hosted by India, matches are taking place in Eden Gardens. Hence, there will also be fewer police available for football events as the sport takes a backseat unfortunately in these circumstances.
Here are the ISL and AFC matches that will be affected due to these events in October:
Home switch for East Bengal
East Bengal will take on FC Goa in the first game of the ISL back from the October international break on Saturday, 21st October 2023. However, the match cannot be hosted in Salt Lake due to the date clashing with Durga Puja festivities and the lack of security guarantee from Kolkata Police. Instead, the Red and Gold are forced to shift base to Odisha for this match deprived of their charging home atmosphere completely. Another option was to suspend the match but with the packed calendar and two of the games already moved from their original date, the other being the Kolkata derby, it was not possible. The first of the two games on that day will kick-off at 5 PM in the Kalinga Stadium.
Unique kick-off time
Three days later on 24th October 2023, the other Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan Super Giant will be in action but in the AFC Cup against Bangladesh league champions Basundhara Kings. The Mariners will also face the same faith as their city rivals East Bengal of having their home game in the tournament taken to Kalinga Stadium. The reason is Durga Puja again with the match falling on the occasion of Vijaya Dashumi or immersion of the idols in the Ganges. Security will be heightened in that case leading the match unable to take place in the city. Another issue was the timing of the kick-off for the game clashing with the other group game on the same day involving the original home side Odisha FC against Maziya. That match will kick-off at 5:30 PM and without any afternoon slot available, Mohun Bagan will take to the pitch at 9:30 PM instead. It will be quite a unique situation as probably this will be the first time any football game played in the country will take place in that time.
Kolkata Derby gets rescheduled
The biggest change in the ISL schedule has been the Kolkata Derby, involving the match between the two biggest and most successful clubs from the region Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, getting postponed from the initially planned date of 28th October 2023. On the very day, another festival Laxmi Puja will be celebrated in West Bengal but it is primarily the first cricket match of the World Cup at the Eden Gardens between Bangladesh and Netherlands that is of concern here. Also, the Pakistan cricket team will be arriving in Kolkata on the same day for their game on 31st October 2023. Hence, police will face problems in providing adequate security for everything at the same time. Football, as said, falls from the priority list in such a situation in the country even if the game is the biggest of the season every time.
Time shifts for ISL match
The last game affected by the scenario is the clash between last season’s top two Mumbai City and Hyderabad FC. The match also falls on 28th October 2023 but the kick-off time will change from afternoon 5:30 PM to evening 8 PM, earlier reserved for the now canceled Kolkata Derby. The venue and the rest of the things involving the match will remain unchanged.
Also Read | ISL Fixtures 2023/24
