Samaleswari SC
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| Full name | Samaleswari Sporting Club | |||
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| Short name | SSC | |||
| Founded | 30 March 2006 | |||
| Ground | Kalinga Stadium (select matches) Sambalpur FA Ground | |||
| Capacity | 15,000 | |||
| Owner | Jayanarayan Mishra | |||
| Head coach | Abdul Azim Siddique | |||
| League | Indian Football League | |||
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Samaleswari Sporting Club, also known as Samaleswari Sporting, is an Indian professional football club based in Sambalpur, Odisha. They participated in the 2025–26 I-League 3, the fourth tier of the Indian football league system.[1] In the 2012 season, they participated in the I-League 2nd Division, the then second tier (currently 3rd tier) of football in India.[2]. The club will make its Indian Football League (2nd Tier) debut in 2026–27 season.
History
[edit]
The club was founded on 3 March 2006 at Pitapali located near Hirakud Reservoir, about 15 kms from the city of Sambalpur.[3] The club's academy, known as Sambalpur Football Academy, was established on 22 November 2008. The academy was the initiative of the area's MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, Gouri Shankar Sahani and former Chief Minister Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo. Mishra serves as the Managing Trustee and Administrator of the academy.[4][5] Samaleswari Sporting have played in state and regional level tournaments such as Churachand Singh Trophy,[6] All-India knockout tournaments,[7][8] Sambalpur Cup,[9] and Biju Patnaik Memorial Trophy.[10]
In January 2012, they were officially certified by the All India Football Federation to participate in the I-League 2nd Division, marking its official transition to professionalism.[2] Samaleswari finished fifth in the group A and thus did not qualify for the next round. In the 2013 I-League 2nd Division, Samaleswari won once, drew once, and lost six times, which saw them second-last in their group.[11]
Samaleswari played their first match in the 135th Durand Cup on 26 July, against Indian Army FC, under lights at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.[12] On 2 August 2026, they pulled off a historic upset against Mohammedan SC in the same tournament, beating the Indian Super League side 3-2.[13]
Players
[edit]First-team squad
[edit]- As of 7 September 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
[edit]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
[edit]Regional
[edit]- All-India Knock-out Football Tournament
- Winners: 2012[14]
- Sambalpur Cup
- Runners-up: 2011
- Biju Patnaik Memorial Trophy
- Runners-up: 2011[15]
References
[edit]- ↑ Chaudhuri, Arunava (5 March 2013). "Mumbai's Kenkre FC name squad for 2nd Division I-League". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- 1 2 "5 city teams in the 2nd Division". Calcutta Telegraph. 2 January 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
- ↑ "SAMALESWARI SPORTING". AIFF.
- ↑ "Silent soccer revolution taking place in Sambalpur". The Hindu. 30 September 2012.
- ↑ "Bend it like an Orissa MLA". The New Indian Express. 16 May 2012.
- ↑ "Brothers win 5-0 - Poor show by Sambalpur Football Academy medios". The Telegraph. 14 December 2008.
- ↑ "Samaleswari outs Ludhiana SC". Orisports. 27 February 2009.
- ↑ "Oram hero in Samleswari victory". Orisports. 1 March 2009.
- ↑ "Jammu & Kashmir Bank FC lift Sambalpur Cup". Orisports. 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "BFC beat Samaleswari to lift Biju memorial football trophy". Orisports. 21 February 2011.
- ↑ "FAO XI emerge Tata Utkalika Cup champions". Orisports. 8 March 2018.
- ↑ Staff (29 July 2026). "The Goddess's XI: How Samaleswari Sporting found its way to Asia's oldest football tournament". Durand Cup.
- ↑ Bureau, Sports (2 August 2026). "Durand Cup: Samaleswari stuns Mohammedan SC". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ "Samaleswari Sporting emerge champions". Orisports. 4 March 2011.
- ↑ "BFC beat Samaleswari to lift Biju memorial football trophy". Orisports. 21 February 2011.
External links
[edit]- Samaleswari Sporting at AIFF
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