The Intercontinental Cup 2023 will kick-start at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneshwar today, 9 June, in what happens to be the first of the many competitions India will be playing in the upcoming months.
The Intercontinental Cup is a four-nation tournament organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), and this edition will mark the third instalment of the competition. India will be joined by Lebanon and Mongolia from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and Vanuatu from Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The previous edition was held in 2019 and was won by North Korea.
The four teams will face each other across the three matchdays, spanning between 9 to 15 June, while the final will be played on 18 June. India’s campaign will begin against Mongolia, followed by encounters with Vanuatu against Lebanon.
Busy Months Ahead for India
Lebanon is the highest-ranked team in the tournament with an international ranking of 99, followed by India at 101. The last two teams, Vanuatu and Mongolia, are currently situated at 164 and 183 respectively.
This tournament will mark the onset of India’s packed international schedule. The Blue Tigers will compete in the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru later this month, whilst it will be followed by Thailand's King’s Cup n September and Malaysia's Merdeka Cup in October.
Here’s the schedule for Intercontinental Cup 2023:
9 June, Friday
Lebanon vs Vanuatu, 4:30pm
India vs Mongolia, 7:30pm
12 June, Monday
Mongolia vs Lebanon, 4:30pm
India vs Vanuatu, 7:30pm
15 June, Thursday
Vanuatu vs Mongolia, 4:30pm
India vs Lebanon, 7:30pm
18 June, Sunday
Final - TBD vs TBD, 7:30pm
(Timings are in IST).
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