Indian Football: ISL to get recognition from AFC

The Indian Super League have got a shot in the arm as the winner of the competition would get an opportunity to compete in the AFC competition...

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are all set to allow the winners of the (ISL) to participate in the qualifying play-off, according to sources close to Goal.

Under the previous arrangement, the Federation Cup champions would earn a spot in the continental competition’s play-off.

This would mean that the ISL is no more a private tournament but a recognised league under the aegis of the All Football Federation (AIFF), AFC and FIFA.

The AIFF and their commercial and marketing partners, namely IMG-Reliance met AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor and Alex Philips, Head of AFC- UEFA Affairs at UEFA on Monday in Bahrain to discuss two proposals, as revealed by Goal earlier.

requested for a third spot in the AFC competitions which was rejected by the continental body. The idea being that the winners of and the Indian Super League (ISL) would get AFC Cup berths while the Super Cup champion will qualify for the Asian (ACL) play-off.

The second proposition was to conduct a play-off between the winner of I-League and the ISL with the victorious outfit playing the ACL play-off while the other automatically going into the group stages of the AFC Cup.

However, it was decided that the ISL winner must get a chance to compete in the AFC Cup play-off.

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Meanwhile, the I-League would continue to see its winner participate in the Asian Champions League (ACL) play-off. The proposal to earn a third spot in the AFC competitions was reportedly rejected by the continental body.

It is reliably learnt that AFC General Secretary Dato Windsor is expected to arrive in India later this month to make the formal announcement.