Mumbai City FC, Jamshedpur FC to battle for one last hurrah at AFC CL

RIYADH: Mumbai City FC, winner of the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) League Shield title, will meet FC Jamshedpur, winner of the Shield last season, in a one-off playoff in the next couple of months to decide who will represent the county in the AFC Champions League, the top competition for clubs in the Continent.

The winner of the playoff match will represent the country in the AFC Champions League 2023-24, informed All-India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary general Dr Shaji Prabhakaran here on Saturday.

It will be the last time that an Indian club will get a direct entry into the AFC Champions League as the Asian Football Confederation has changed the format of the top club league in the country.

‘This is the last time that an Indian club will get a direct entry into the Champions League. The format will change from next season and a three-tier tournament system will be introduced,” said Dr Prabhakaran.

In the new system, AFC competitions will be divided into three tiers and while India will lose a direct berth in the top-level AFC Champions League, the country will have two spots in the second-tier AFC Cup — one direct and one playoff spot. The details of the third-tier competition is yet to be announced. IANS