The fixtures for the 2017/18 edition of I-league has been released, with Mohun Bagan and Minerva Punjab FC locking horns at the Guru Nanak stadium in Ludhiana for the opening game which is scheduled for a 2 PM kick-off.
East Bengal start their campaign on November 28 when they play defending champions Aizawl FC at home.
Season's first Kolkata Derby featuring giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will take place on December 3 which is also surprisingly a 2 PM kick-off. The return leg will be played on January 13.
Three new teams, Gokulam Kerala FC, Indian Arrows and Neroca will be introduced in this edition of I-League. Gokulam Kerala is a team owned by the Gokulam group and will play their home matches at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode. With this, I-League returns to Kerala after a gap of six seasons, as the last team from Kerala was Chirag Kerala (formerly known as Viva Kerala) who got relegated after a 12th position finish in the 2011/12 season.
Neroca FC got promoted to the Premier Division of I-League after a historic unbeaten run and they play their first game against Minerva on December 1 in Ludhiana.
The Indian Arrows team is comprised of players from the FIFA U-17 World Cup squad and the India U-19 team, and they will play their home games in Delhi under the tutelage of Luis Norton de Matos. They take on Chennai City FC in their first match.
The league is set to run for just a little over four months, with 90 matches to be played in the league format. The dates for the last round of fixtures have not yet been released as it will be decided later depending on the points table.
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