The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday approved the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) recommendation to replace Federation Cup with Indian Super League (ISL) in the second-tier continental competition, AFC Cup, in which one slot used to be for India.
The AFC also said that the three-year-old ISL will be played simultaneously with the I-League for the next two seasons as a temporary short-term "bridging solution".
"The Committee approved that the I-League champions will play in the AFC Champions League Play-off round and the ISL champions will play in the AFC Cup preliminary stage -- as long as all clubs adhere to the AFC rules and regulations, particularly club licensing, from 2018," AIFF confirmed in a statement.
"The situation will be reviewed on a yearly basis with conditions which, in addition to adherence to club licensing regulations, include promotion, production, a player allocation system and the following of the Road Map agreed between the AFC and Indian football stakeholders at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on June 7, 2017," the statement further added.
The ISL will be temporarily played simultaneously with the I-League for six or seven months in the 2017 and 2018 season.
--IANS
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