Goa to host Federation Cup in December

One of India's football hubs, the state of Goa has been chosen to host the prestigious Federation Cup in December 2014. The All India Football Federation has deviated from its original plans to host the tournament in Jammu and Kashmir to hand over the honour to Goa.

The AIFF is currently facing a dilemna, trying to sort out the tournament dates for next season. With the Indian Super League scheduled for September, and Asian Games in the same month ; a pileup of fixtures is imminent. It is now probable, that India's premier domestic league, the I-League will kick off in January 2015.

Ever since the formalisation of the hyped Indian Super League, all the footballing attention has been digressed to this opulent new franchise league. There has been a marked apathy of the AIFF towards the existing leagues.

 The most shocking example is the clash of the ISL dates with the Asian Games, where India is apparently planning to field a young precocious side.  Just before both the ISL and Asian Games, the historic Durand Cup is scheduled for the month of October in the state of Goa. It is clear that very little planning and concern for players went into the commercial venture called the Indian Super League.

Earlier there were plans to host the Federation Cup early around the month of June, however owing to international duties, the proposal was scrapped.

Speaking to the Times of India, an AIFF official said :"We have asked Goa if they are willing to host the tournament in December 2014. Unfortunately, there is now a change in plan and the Federation Cup cannot be played in May (2015) since the Indian team has international assignments and many players consider May as off-season."