Gokulam, Calicut to meet in inaugural match of Kerala Premier League on March 8

Gokulam Kerala will take on Calicut FC in the inaugural match of the Kerala Premier League (KPL) at the Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode on March 8.

Calicut FC, which plays in the Super League Kerala, gained a corporate entry to the 13th edition of KPL, which is the premier men's club championship in the state. The inaugural match will kick off at 7 pm.

The Kerala Football Association (KFA) said 14 clubs will compete in the upcoming edition, including EMEA College and SAI Kollam, which gained promotion from the second division of KPL.

Kerala Blasters, Golden Threads, Real Malabar, Inter Kerala, KSEB, Kerala Police, Wayanad United, PFC Kerala, Kovalam and Kerala United are the other teams that will participate in the event.

The winners of KPL will be nominated for the Indian Football League 3, said KFA president Navas Meeran during the league launch in Kochi on Monday. IFL 3 is the fourth tier in the national football pyramid.

The 14 teams will be split into two groups, and the top four finishers at the end of the preliminary round will advance to the Super Eight stage. The best four teams from the Super Eight are scheduled to play the semifinals. Besides the Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, KPL matches will also be held at Thrissur Corporation Stadium.