Chennaiyin FC’s pain at the AIFF Super Cup: A story of inadequate preparation and an unceremonious exit

Chennaiyin FC has a memorable relationship with Goa. The first trophy, the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup in 2015, came here at the Fatorda Stadium, while the best finish in the competition since – a second-place finish in 2020 – took place at the same venue.

As the club embarked on the AIFF Super Cup campaign, the first tournament after a period of operational shutdown, fans naturally hoped that it would mark the beginning of a redemption arc.

But the period ended on a meaningless note, with back-to-back losses to Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal and an early elimination.

On a matchday where an all-Indian side, Dempo Sports Club, held ISL champions Bagan to a goalless draw, the lack of foreigners cannot be an excuse for Chennaiyin.

Furthermore, unlike Dempo, it had players representing the national team. Yet there were no goals or points for the team in Goa.

A closer look at Chennaiyin’s campaign reveals a fundamental operational failure: a critically inadequate preseason.

The uncertainty surrounding the ISL meant that the club suspended operations for both the senior and youth teams in August. The club did not participate in the invitation-only Durand Cup in July–August, in which only six ISL teams participated.

The Super Cup match against Bagan on October 23 was the first match in six months. The lack of competitive playing time caused the team to suffer, which in turn only exacerbated the rift with a shrinking fanbase that had many opportunities to interact with the team.

On the contrary, East Bengal, Bagan and Dempo have all been actively involved in matches before the Super Cup, giving the teams ample time to prepare and fans watching their teams regularly.

READ ALSO | Molina defends Mohun Bagan’s team selection after Super Cup draw and denies feeling pressure before match against East Bengal

East Bengal reached the semi-finals of the Durand Cup, the final of the IFA Shield and won the Calcutta Football League (CFL), while Bagan won the IFA Shield, played a match in the AFC Champions League 2, reached the quarter-finals of the Durand Cup and also played in the CFL.

Dempo, meanwhile, has continued to play in the Goa Professional League this season and has built up a significant support base to lean on despite the uncertainties surrounding Indian football.

By moving from the larger Fatorda Stadium to his own academy ground, Ella Academy Ground in Old Goa, Dempo has built a sustainable infrastructure and strengthened the grassroots rather than wasting money on the fading allure of the Indian top flight.

It pulled out of the I-League in 2016, protesting the ISL becoming the Indian men’s top flight. It was then left to an Indian core, led by former India captain and Dempo legend Samir Naik, to work their way up, even if it took eight years.

Chennaiyin finished third from bottom in the ISL last season and have three wins in 2025. New head coach Clifford Miranda took over pre-season duties on October 12, just two weeks before the Super Cup started.

As a result, Chennaiyin arrived in Goa unprepared.

The matches in the tournament have followed a pattern: it starts with a plan, sticks to it for the first half hour, and then kind of forgets it, like a child rushing through a chapter just before entering the exam hall.

Chennaiyin conceded the first goal against Bagan in the 38th minute and against East Bengal in the 35th.

The cycle of preparation and performance is not just a sporting matter; it is a commercial necessity.

For example, NorthEast United has had a consistent presence in the Durand Cup since 2022. It has now won the tournament twice, including the last edition, and its success has attracted more sponsors and commercial partners in OPUL and Reebok.

The previous East Bengal-Bagan derby in the IFA Shield attracted 50,236 fans to the stadium, bringing significant revenue to their investors – Emami and RP Sanjeev Goenka Group respectively – in a tournament with no continental significance.

NorthEast United, like Chennaiyin, is an ISL franchise, while East Bengal and Bagan enjoy a historical legacy. The former has leveraged its success in an invitational tournament – ​​the Durand Cup – to raise capital; the last two, their history.

Chennaiyin has neither.

The team will play its final group stage match against Dempo on October 31, a rather quiet prelude to the high-profile Kolkata derby that follows. But the barren spell in the tournament should be a parable for Indian franchises: there are no meaningless matches in the modern football economy.

The secret to sustaining football clubs is not hibernating between seasons, but competing, connecting and building momentum all year round.

Published on October 29, 2025