Bhubaneswar: The quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 will begin from today at Kalinga Stadium. The quarter-finals will feature two of the most popular clubs in the country, as Kerala Blasters FC take on the reigning ISL Shield and Cup champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, while FC Goa face Punjab FC.
The Round of 16 matches here threw up some rather surprising results, with both the defending champions East Bengal FC, and last year’s runners-up Odisha FC being knocked out of the competition, while I-League club Inter Kashi, against all odds, defeated ISL 2024-25 cup runners-ups Bengaluru FC on penalties.
The Kalinga Super Cup quarter-finals is new territory for Kerala Blasters, who have made it to the last eight for the first time, under head coach David Catala, who was appointed only a few weeks prior to the tournament. Having defeated the defending champions, the Blasters will ride high on confidence, especially while facing a Mohun Bagan side who have brought a number of players from their developmental team. However, Catala is wary of the green and maroons’ qualities.
“We're going to face all the games with the same attitude, to try to win the game. We just need to be focused on the game,” said Català. “It's not an advantage (to face a young MBSG team). I think they are strong enough to compete against all the teams. They have quality players and are the champions of the league and the ISL Cup. So facing them is going to be difficult.”
Mohun Bagan SG are the only team who have not yet played a match in the competition, after being awarded a bye in the Round of 16 post Churchill Brothers’ withdrawal from the competition. With a spot in the AFC Champions League Two already in their bag, Mohun Bagan SG have opted to try out some of their younger players from the developmental squad in the Kalinga Super Cup, announcing midfielder Deepak Tangri as the captain of the side.
Coach Bastab Roy expressed “We’ve all been training for this tournament for about a week. Our team, however, is not all about youngsters. We have a number of experienced players as well, in the form of Deepak (Tangri), Sahal (Abdul Samad), Ashique (Kuruniyan), and so on,” he said. “We are lucky to face a good team like Kerala Blasters. They are one of the best teams in the current situation of Indian football.”
Despite the historical odds being in their favour, FC Goa are cautious about facing Punjab FC. FC Goa head coach Manolo Márquez said, “In ISL, it’s always been difficult against Punjab FC. This season, we were lucky to win in Fatorda, and then we won 1-0 away from home. I expect it to be a very even game tomorrow.
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis brushed aside all praises of his side’s performance against former champions and last season’s runners-up Odisha FC. He said, “The last win against Odisha has nothing to do with this game. These are different teams, and different games. We are just focussed on tomorrow’s match.”
