33rd Federation Cup: Qualifiers start tomorrow

The 33rd Federation Cup, India's version of the FA Cup, starts with the qualifiers which will begin tomorrow in Kolkata with seven teams taking part. Up for grabs are two spots in the quarterfinal league along with the 14 I-League teams, which will be played from September 17 to 29 in Kolkata and Pune.

The opening game will see local side Mohammedan Sporting Club taking on Ar-Hima FC from Shillong. All seven participating teams come into the tournament with different levels of preparations, then while some have been training for weeks others go into the Fed Cup qualifiers rather unprepared, so pedigree and old results might count little.

Group A comprises of local Kolkata giants Mohammedan Sporting, Ar-Hima FC from Shillong and Goan side Vasco SC. It could be an even affair with both Mohammedan Sporting and Vasco losing some of their key players in the transfer market, while Ar-Hima FC made some clever buys over the summer as they will want to push for I-League promotion at the end of the season. My favourites due to the group being played in Kolkata are Mohammedan Sporting, who should be able to use the home advantage.

Meanwhile Group B will see local side Southern Samity take on Royal Wahingdoh SC from Shillong, United Sikkim FC and Mumbai-based ONGC. This also looks an even group, but if one goes through the list of summer signings then aspiring debutants United Sikkim FC look like the strongest on paper compared to their rivals. Southern Samity surely have the home advantage knowing the conditions in Kolkata well, but ONGC and Royal Wahingdoh SC will also try to make their mark in the tournament.


The Qualifiers

Group A
08-Sep-11: Mohammedan Sporting Club - Ar-Hima FC
10-Sep-11: Ar-Hima FC - Vasco SC
12-Sep-11: Mohammedan Sporting Club - Vasco SC

Group B
09-Sep-11: Southern Samity - Royal Wahingdoh SC
09-Sep-11: United Sikkim FC - ONGC
11-Sep-11: Royal Wahingdoh SC - United Sikkim FC
11-Sep-11: ONGC - Southern Samity
13-Sep-11: Royal Wahingdoh SC - ONGC
13-Sep-11: United Sikkim FC - Southern Samity