The inaugural edition of the Intercontinental Cup organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) will be held at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai from June 1-10.
With the tournament just around the corner, Goal brings you all you need to know about the 2018 Intercontinental Cup.
What is the Intercontinental Cup?
The 2018 Intercontinental Cup will be held as a four-nation tournament with four teams from three different confederations.
Although the tournament is being held to fine-tune the Indian football team’s preparations for the 2019 AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup to be held in UAE, the AIFF intends to make the tournament an annual fixture in the Indian footballing calendar.
The Intercontinental Cup was supposed to be held last year as well but was converted to a three-nation tournament after pullouts.
Which teams are in the tournament this year?
| India |
|---|
| India (hosts) |
| Chinese Taipei |
| Kenya |
| New Zealand |
After South Africa decided to pull out from the 2018 Intercontinental Cup, the AIFF found Kenya as a replacement to represent a team from the Confederation of Afican Football (CAF) region, while New Zealand is from the Oceania Football Conderation (OFC) and Chinese Taipei from the AFC.
Chinese Taipei have had two appearances in the AFC Asian Cup, first in 1960, and have not qualified for the same since 1968. India has recorded three appearances (1964, 1984 and 2011) in the competition so far.
Unlike New Zealand, who have made two World Cup appearances in the past (1982 and 2010), Kenya haven't qualified for the World Cup at all. .
2018 Intercontinental Cup fixtures
India will kick off their campaign against Chinese Taipei on June 1. All matches are set to kick-off at 8 p.m. IST.
On June 2, Kenya will take on New Zealand and the African nation's next game will be against Stephen Constantine's men on June 4. Chinese Taipei will take on New Zealand on June 5.
After a two-day break the hosts will lock horns against the Black Caps who are currently 133rd in men's FIFA ranking. The last group stage match will see Chinese Taipei going up against Kenya on June 8.
The top two teams will battle for silverware on June 10.
| Date | Match | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 1 | India vs. Chinese Taipei | 20:00 |
| Jun 2 | Kenya vs. New Zealand | 20:00 |
| Jun 4 | India vs. Kenya | 20:00 |
| Jun 5 | Chinese Taipei vs. New Zealand | 20:00 |
| Jun 7 | India vs. New Zealand | 20:00 |
| Jun 8 | Chinese Taipei vs. Kenya | 20:00 |
| FINAL: | ||
| Jun 10 | TBD vs. TBD | 20:00 |
TV channels & streams
The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the 2018 Intercontinental Cup. The games will be telecast with the option of English and/or Hindi commentary over their bouquet of television as well as digital platforms.
| India (English) TV channel | Online streams |
|---|---|
| Star Sports 2/HD | Hotstar and Jio TV |
Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.
| Hindi TV channel | Tamil TV channel |
|---|---|
| Star Sports Hindi 1/HD | Star Sports Tamil 1 |
2018 Intercontinental Cup venue
Andheri Sports Complex (Mumbai Football Arena)
35, Veer Desai Rd, Azad Nagar, Andheri West, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053
Tickets for all the matches are available online on BookMyShow.