B’luru to host Qualifiers behind closed doors; fans dejected

Garden City Bengaluru will host Group ‘A’ of the 75th Hero Santosh Trophy National Football Championship South Zone Qualifiers from November 23-27, 2021 at Bangalore Football Stadium.

Karnataka, the semifinalist in the last two editions, have been grouped with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Out of four teams, one will advance to the final stage, which will be held in Kerala. All four teams will play the matches in a bio-bubble.“We are proud to stage another national event after last month’s Hero I-League Qualifiers. Unfortunately, even this event will be played behind closed doors, and hence public and fans will not be allowed,” said KSFA President N A Haris.

Shahabuddin, a football enthusiast, said he was looking forward to watching some competitive local football encounters but the tourney happening behind closed doors has left him extremely disappointed.