Panaji: Indian Super League and I-League clubs will have to plan their pre-season without the Super Cup in mind.

The Super Cup is an annual knockout competition that brings I-League clubs and ISL franchises together. For two years now, it was held at the end of the season, drawing lukewarm response. But plans by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to hold the tournament prior to the beginning of the two leagues have now been kept on hold.

“We have unofficially told the clubs that the tournament will be held post-season but a final decision could be taken in the next 48 hours,” AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told TOI on Saturday.

According to Das, the AIFF is almost certain to follow coach Igor Stimac’s advice to continue holding the Super Cup after the conclusion of the ISL and I-League.

“The coach feels the players will not have anything to do once the leagues get over (in March). We have the World Cup qualifiers coming up once the leagues are over, so it’s important that the players remain in a competitive mould,” said Das.

At least the ISL is expected to kick off on October 19-20 and will culminate latest by the first week of March. The I-League could commence early November.

India has a home qualifier against Asian champions Qatar on March 26 and crucially will play two games – probably decisive – in June against Bangladesh (away, June 4) and Afghanistan (home, June 9).

Besides Stimac’s concerns, the AIFF may have also been worried about another boycott by I-League clubs as the war between them and the federation shows no sign of subsiding.

Several coaches and officials have ridiculed the idea of having the Super Cup as a post-season tournament with absolutely nothing at stake. The boycott by I-League clubs only made the situation worse last season as FC Goa defeated Chennaiyin FC in the final.

“I have said for many years that Super Cup should be a pre-season competition or a during-season competition. This competition needs to have a meaning. I think at the moment it’s just ‘we got to do, so let’s do’,” former ATK coach Steve Coppell had said after his side was knocked out by Chennaiyin FC in the semifinal.

