Jamshedpur, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Kerala have reached the playoffs of the eighth edition of the Indian Football League. A 1-0 win over Kolkata on Monday helped Jamshedpur finish top of the table and win the league winners shield for the first time in the franchise's history. Hyderabad came second, while Kolkata and Kerala grabbed third and fourth spots, respectively.
Playoffs Schedule
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Date
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Match
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Timing
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March 11
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1st Semi-Final -
Jamshedpur vs Kerala (1st Leg)
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7:30 PM
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March 12
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2nd Semi-Final -
Hyderabad vs Kolkata (1st Leg)
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7:30 PM
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March 15
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1st Semi-Final -
Kerala vs Jamshedpur (2nd Leg)
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7:30 PM
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March 16
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2nd Semi-Final -
Kolkata vs Hyderabad (2nd Leg)
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7:30 PM
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March 20
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Final
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7:30 PM
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Terrific Steelmen
Owen Coyle’s Jamshedpur reached their maiden playoffs in style. After a defeat against Bengaluru in Bambolim last month, they won all of their remaining seven fixtures, including a 3-0 win over Kerala, to finish top of the standings with 43 points and seal a place in the playoffs of Asia’s top club football competition.
Goals scored: 42
Goals conceded: 21
Clean sheets: 7
Top goalscorer: Greg Stewart (10 goals)
Most assists: Greg Stewart (10 assists)
Free-flowing Hyderabad
No team scored more goals than Hyderabad in the league this season. The Nizams, who reached the playoffs for the first time, netted 43 goals and finished second, five points behind Jamshedpur. They completed a league double over Mumbai, Bengaluru, North East, and Odisha.
Goals scored: 43
Goals conceded: 23
Clean sheets: 3
Top goalscorer: Bartholomew Ogbeche (17 goals)
Most assists: Asish Rai, Aniket Jadhav, Joel Chianese, Akash Mishra (3 assists)
Gritty Kolkata
Kolkata sealed a top-four spot for the third season in a row despite making an uneven start to the season. Six games into their 2021-22 campaign, the franchise sacked their head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. But the Mariners found their mojo under new boss Juan Ferrando and went on a 15-game unbeaten streak.
Goals scored: 37
Goals conceded: 26
Clean sheets: 5
Top goalscorer: Liston Colaco (8 goals)
Most assists: Joni Kauko (6 assists)
Resurrected Kerala
Kerala made it to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. The South Indian outfit, who missed the services of two key players early in the season, failed to register a win in the opening three games. However, they went on a nine-game unbeaten run and clinched the fourth spot after victories over Chennai and Mumbai.
Goals scored: 34
Goals conceded: 24
Clean sheets: 7
Top goalscorer: Jorge Diaz, Alvaro Vazquez (8 goals)
Most assists: Adrian Luna (7 assists)
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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