Twelve teams will contest in the 2016-17 second division league, organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
In the first match of the tournament, hosts Fateh Hyderabad AFC take on debutants Pride Sports at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.
The 12 teams will be divided into three groups. Real Kashmir FC (Jammu & Kashmir), Sudeva Moonlight FC (Delhi), Ozone FC Bengaluru (Bengaluru) and Pride Sports (Madhya Pradesh) will make their debut in the second division league this season.
Two clubs from each group will proceed to the national finals where each team will play against the other on a home-away basis.
"Twelve teams bustling in second division league vindicates nothing but the enthusiasm and positivity amongst the clubs to emboss their names in the national football ecosystem and it rightly indicates that we're heading towards the right direction", I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said in a statement on Friday.
The groups for the league are:
Group A: Sudeva Moonlight FC, Real Kashmir FC, Lonestar Kashmir FC, Delhi United FC
Group B: Hindustan FC, Southern Samity, Neroca FC, Mohammedan Sporting
Group C: Ozone FC Bengaluru, Pride Sports, Fateh Hyderabad FC, Kenkre Sports
--IANS
sam/bg
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