Thiruvananthapuram: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) revealed that the 77th edition of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2023–24 final rounds will be hosted in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The tournament is scheduled to take place from February 21 to March 9, with all matches to be held at the Golden Jubilee Stadium.
Twelve teams will be divided into two groups of six each during the draw in November. This marks the first time that Arunachal Pradesh will host the championship.
Kerala, a seven-time champion, will kick off its Santosh Trophy campaign against Assam on February 21 at 2:30 p.m. The tournament promises intense competition as teams from different regions battle for supremacy on the football field.
The group-stage composition is as follows:
Group A: Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam, Services, Kerala.
Group B: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, Mizoram, and Railways.
Kerala’s fixtures in the group stage are as follows:
· Kerala Vs Assam on February 21 at 2:30 pm
· Kerala Vs Goa on February 23 at 7 pm
· Kerala Vs Meghalaya on February 25 at 2:30 pm
· Kerala Vs Arunachal Pradesh on February 28 at 2:30 pm
· Kerala Vs Services on March 1 at 10 am
