PANAJI: It’s a title race like no other, and this time, the stakes are higher too. The I-League, Indian football’s second-tier club competition, has seen some thrilling action in the past with teams snatching the title on the concluding day. But this season’s battle has been extraordinary, with four clubs now in contention to win the title and seek qualification to the Indian Super League (ISL). On Sunday, six teams will be involved in three matches to be played across the country. Four of them, Churchill Brothers, Inter Kashi, Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala, can win the I-League crown, depending on which way the results go.
So, who are the favourites? The I-League table suggests it’s Churchill, who have everything in their own hands. Should they draw in Kashmir, they will finish on top. A win will be even better for the two-time former champions, since the pending appeal for three points from Inter Kashi will then be out of the equation. But there’s a slight hitch. No visiting team has returned home from Srinagar with a win this season. Real Kashmir have won seven of their ten matches at home, with the other three ending in draws. Across all home games, they have conceded just seven goals, making life difficult for their opponents.
“We are facing a very, very, very, very difficult team,” said Churchill coach Dimitris Dimitriou. “They are a team with the best record in home games. It makes our job harder and more difficult.” Real Kashmir are nursing title ambitions of their own. It’s quite a task: defeat Churchill by at least three goals and hope Gokulam Kerala do not edge past Dempo. The big prize? A ticket to the ISL next season.
WINNING EQUATION - Churchill: Get at least a point against Kashmir or lose by two goals and hope Gokulam Kerala drop points against Dempo. - Gokulam Kerala: Defeat Dempo and hope Real Kashmir edge past Churchill. - Real Kashmir: Defeat Churchill by at least three goals and hope Gokulam Kerala don’t win against Dempo. - Inter Kashi: Pending a favourable verdict from the AIFF appeal committee, Inter Kashi must win against Rajasthan and hope Churchill do not win against Kashmir.
The I-League season ended on Sunday, April 6, 2025, with a triple header on the final day of the 2nd-tier Indian football league. Three out of six teams involved on the final day were the title contenders and in the end, Churchill Brothers have finished at the top of the table after the conclusion. Inter Kashi and Gokulam Kerala were also in the race.
What Happened on the I-League Final Day? Gokulam Kerala started the day with 37 points, Churchill started with 39, while Inter Kashi started the final match with 36 points. Gokulam Kerala failed at home against Dempo SC and lost the match 3-4. Inter Kashi were 3-1 winners over Rajasthan United as they scored the winning goals in injury time, while Churchill managed a 1-1 draw in Srinagar against Real Kashmir. With these results, Churchill have finished the season with the most number of points. But despite ending the season with most points, Churchill Brothers are yet to be named as Champions.
As the I-League concluded, the Goa-based team has finished provisionally at the top of the table, which has confused a section of the fans unaccustomed to the I-League saga this season. Why are Churchill Brothers Not Yet I-League Champions? Churchill Brothers are not yet the I-League champions due to a controversial match which took place on January 13 between Namdhari FC and Inter Kashi. In that questioned match, Namdhari beat Inter Kashi 2-0, but Kashi later complained against Namdhari for fielding ineligible players. They pointed that the accused club played Cledson Carvalho da Silva, popularly known as De, who was supposed to be suspended for receiving 4 yellow cards in the league prior to the match.
The AIFF Disciplinary Committee saw legitimacy of Inter Kashi's appeal and forfeited the match and docked three points from Namdhari. But on March 27, the Appeals Committee overturned the earlier decision, leading to protests from Inter Kashi, who have already threatened a legal route. Inter Kashi feel they should have been given three points. But as per latest proceedings, the AIFF will be putting the issue up for discussion on April 28, some 22 days from now. That is why, the I-League crown is not yet decided and remains on a cliffhanger for now.
Who can be the I-League Champions? If Inter Kashi win their appeal and get three points, they will be the I-League Champions with 42 points. If the decision stays as it is, Churchill Brothers will be crowned the title. But the hotchpotch of Indian football is likely to continue as any decision may be rebutted by the opposing party with a formal legal battle.
The 2024/25 season of the I-League has come to a chaotic ending as of now, with much left in the hands of the AIFF to decide. Before the final matchday today, there were four sides up in contention for the title — Churchill Brothers, Inter Kashi, Real Kashmir, and Gokulam Kerala — in a title race unlike any other, where the stakes were as high as it could be: securing promotion to the ISL.
Let us first take a look at the results of the final matchday of the I-League season, before we go into detail about what they mean: - Real Kashmir 1-1 Churchill Brothers - Inter Kashi 3-1 Rajasthan FC - Gokulam Kerala 3-4 Dempo SC. After the final day of results, what has now transpired is an absolute nail-biter of an end to the season, which is yet to be decided on one contingency.
Coming into the final day, Churchill Brothers were the only side who had it all in their favour: points, goals, everything. All they had to do was to win against Real Kashmir and walk away with the title with no fuss. But, Real Kashmir, who have not conceded a win at home all season, held onto their record, forcing Churchill to a fiery draw. But, this was still enough of the Churchill Brothers, who ended up on top of the table, after Gokulam Kerala fell victim to a 94th minute winner from Cristian Roa that gifted Dempo the thrilling 4-3 win over the Kerala side.
So, with 40 points from 22 games, three points clear of both Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala, it is Churchill Brothers who have claimed the throne with a provisional top-of-the-table finish. But, have they? Well, Inter Kashi might just have a fighting chance. Kashi stands at 39 points in 21 games, just a mere point below Churchill’s total. But, why 21 games if the season has ended? Because of their match against Namdhari FC. Inter Kashi will only stand a chance to be champions should they receive a favourable decision on the pending AIFF Appeal Committee’s hearing about the match against Namdhari FC, where the opponents fielded an ineligible player.
So, if the AIFF’s ruling on the match goes Inter Kashi’s way, then they will be awarded three points, taking their total to 42 points: overtaking Churchill Brothers for the title and promotion. But, as it all stands, Churchill Brothers are the provisional champions, and will be praying that they secure promotion to the ISL.
Churchill Brothers ended the I-League season on top of the table with 40 points in 22 games. Inter Kashi finished second with 39 points. However, the Goa-based outfit has not been declared champions. Both Churchill and Kashi will have to wait till April 28 to know which team will play in the Indian Super League (ISL) next season.
In an unprecedented situation, the Churchill Brothers cannot celebrate their I-League 2024-25 triumph despite finishing on top of the table after the final matches of the season were played on Sunday (April 6). The winner of the league will be determined on April 28 after the All India Football (AIFF) Federation's appeal committee announces their verdict on April 28 over the result of the match between Kashi and Namdhari in January. The January 2025 clash was won by Namdhari by a 2-0 margin, but it later emerged that they had fielded an ineligible player.
After an appeal by the losing side, AIFF's disciplinary committee declared in their favour and overturned the result of the game and handed Kashi a 3-0 victory. However, the appeal committee stayed the decision and the final decision will be taken after a discussion on April 28. If Kashi are awarded the three points, they will climb to top spot with 42 points and be declared champions. For those unversed, the controversy is around Brazilian forward Cledson, who played the fixture against Kashi. However, it has been alleged that he had received four yellow cards coming into the game and should have been serving a suspension.
It is also worth noting that not only is the title up for grabs but also a spot in the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL). The winner of the second division has been promoted to the top tier of Indian football as an arrangement to unify India's football structure since the 2022-23 season. Elsewhere, the 2024-25 ISL League Stage was won by Mohun Bagan. They are facing Jamshedpur in the semi-final and lost the first leg 2-1. On the other hand, Bengaluru FC defeated FC Goa in the first leg of the last-four clash.
