2021 CFL Premier Division

The 2021 Calcutta Football League Premier Division A was the 123rd season of the top state-level football league of West Bengal. It was held between mid-August and November 2021.^[1][2] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to cancel Calcutta League last season,^[3] but it was played this year.^[4][5]

CFL Premier Division A

Season	2021
Dates	17 August – 18 November
Champions	Mohammedan (12th title)
Matches played	41
Goals scored	123 (3 per match)
Best Player	Anurag Dhawa
Top goalscorer	Santosh Baro
Best goalkeeper	Kuldeep Singh
Highest scoring	Tollygunge Agragami 2–6 Peerless
← 2019 2022 →

Changes from last season

Rules and regulations

• Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in West Bengal, the tournament format is shortened by adopting a league-cum-knockout format.^[4] The 14 participating teams would be divided into two groups and each team would play against all the other teams in their respective groups once. The top three teams from each group would earn a direct quarter final berth. The remaining four teams from each group would play against each other once for the last two quarter final spots. The eight qualified teams would then play knockout matches to reach the final of Premier Division A.^[5] From similar reasons ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have not participated.

• The IFA had also increased the number of overseas players a club could register from 4 to 6, but only 2 could be named in the starting eleven.^[6][7]

• The teams were exempted from relegation this season as the lower divisions of CFL were cancelled due to the pandemic.^[6][7]

Promoted clubs

• United
• Railway
• Tollygunge Agragami
• Kidderpore

Relegated clubs

• NBP Rainbow
• Kalighat Milan Sangha

Teams

Managers and captains

Team	Head coach
Aryan	Rajdeep Nandy
Bhawanipore	Sankarlal Chakraborty
BSS	Goutam Ghosh
Calcutta Customs
George Telegraph	Ranjan Bhattacharjee
Kidderpore	Sanjib Pal
Mohammedan	Andrey Chernyshov
Tollygunge Agragami	Bimal Ghosh
Peerless	Subrata Bhattacharya
Railway	Souren Dutta
Southern Samity	Biswajit Bhattacharya
United	Steven Herbots

Foreign players

Team	Player 1	Player 2	Player 3	Player 4
Aryan	Aristide Vaillant	Kareem Omolaja
Bhawanipore	Kamo Stephane Bayi	Henry Kisekka
BSS	Léonce Dodoz	Seydou Kourouma
Calcutta Customs	Gatch Arthure Diomande	Varney Kallon
George Telegraph	Echezona Anyichie
Kidderpore	Ejiogu Chinedu Emmanuel	Stephen Abeiku
Mohammedan	Nikola Stojanović	Stefan Ilić	Marcus Joseph	Shaher Shaheen
Peerless	Ansumana Kromah	Dixon Alusine	Romaric Bettat
Railway	Ben Quansah	Rayden Gonzo	Kelvin Kollie
Southern Samity	Victor Kamhuka
Tollygunge Agragami	Christopher Chizoba
United	Dennis	Matthew Tendai

Group stage

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Bhawanipore	6	4	2	0	14	7	+7	14	Qualified for Quarterfinals
2	BSS	6	4	1	1	13	7	+6	13
3	United	6	4	1	1	11	5	+6	13
4	Mohammedan	6	3	1	2	10	5	+5	10	Relegated to Elimination round
5	Railway	6	2	1	3	8	9	−1	7
6	Southern Samity	6	1	0	5	7	12	−5	3
7	East Bengal	6	0	0	6	0	18	−18	0

Updated to match(es) played on 3 September 2021. Source: The Away End

Note: East Bengal withdrew from the league hence the oppositions were awarded walkover of 3 goals.

Fixtures and results

Home \ Away	MMD	BSS	BFC	RLY	EAB	USC	SSY
Mohammedan	—	0–1	—	2–0	—	2–2	—
BSS	—	—	—	3–1	—	1–3	—
Bhawanipore	2–0	2–2	—	2–2	3–0	2–1	3–2
Railway	—	—	—	—	—	0–1	—
East Bengal	0–3	0–3	—	0–3	—	0–3	0–3
United	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Southern Samity	0–3	1–3	—	1–2	—	0–1	—

Updated to match(es) played on 5 September 2021. Source: The Away End
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Peerless	6	4	1	1	14	5	+9	13	Qualified for Quarterfinals
2	Calcutta Customs	6	4	1	1	13	4	+9	13
3	George Telegraph	6	3	3	0	9	3	+6	12
4	Aryan	6	2	3	1	9	3	+6	9	Relegated to Elimination round
5	Tollygunge Agragami	6	2	1	3	8	10	−2	7
6	Kidderpore	6	1	1	4	6	16	−10	4
7	ATK Mohun Bagan	6	0	0	6	0	18	−18	0

Updated to match(es) played on 26 August 2021. Source: The Away End

Note: ATK Mohun Bagan withdrew from the league hence the oppositions were awarded walkover of 3 goals.

Fixtures and results

Home \ Away	PRL	ARN	TAG	AMB	CCU	GTL	KSC
Peerless	—	—	—	—	1–0	—	4–1
Aryan	0–0	—	0–0	3–0	0–1	1–1	5–1
Tollygunge Agragami	2–6	—	—	3–0	2–3	0–1	1–0
ATK Mohun Bagan	0–3	—	—	—	0–3	0–3	0–3
Calcutta Customs	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
George Telegraph	2–0	—	—	—	1–1	—	1–1
Kidderpore	—	—	—	—	0–5	—	—

Updated to match(es) played on 26 August 2021. Source: The Away End
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Elimination round

	Play-off round 1				Play-off round 2
	Mohammedan	w/o
	ATK Mohun Bagan
					Mohammedan	3
					Tollygunge Agragami	1
	Tollygunge Agragami	2; 5(p)
	Southern Samity	2; 4(p)

	Play-off round 1				Play-off round 2
	Aryan	w/o
	East Bengal
					Aryan	0; 2(p)
					Railway	0; 4(p)
	Railway	5
	Kidderpore	0

Knockout stage

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	1 October 2021 – Kalyani
	BSS	1
					8 October 2021 - Naihati Stadium
	George Telegraph	2
					George Telegraph	0
	5 October 2021 – Naihati Stadium
					Railway (a.e.t.)	1
	Peerless	0
									18 November 2021 - Salt Lake Stadium
	Railway	4
									Railway	0
	2 October 2021 – Naihati Stadium
									Mohammedan	1
	United	3
					12 October 2021 - Kalyani
	Calcutta Customs	2
					United	0
	9 October 2021 – Kalyani
					Mohammedan	1
	Bhawanipore	0
	Mohammedan	7

See also

• 2021–22 season in state football leagues of India

References

1. Ghosh, Sabyasachi (1 July 2021). "আগস্টের মাঝে শুরু হবে কলকাতা লিগ, আইএফএর বৈঠকে গরহাজির এসসি ইস্টবেঙ্গল" [Kolkata League to start mid-August, SC East Bengal absentee in meeting]. XtraTime Bangla (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
2. "CFL: ১৮ অগস্ট থেকে শুরু হচ্ছে কলকাতা ফুটবল লিগ" [Kolkata League to start from 18th August]. Anandabazar (in Bengali). 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
3. "No Calcutta Football League This Season, Decide Premier Division Clubs". Indian Football Association (West Bengal). 25 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
4. Sagnik (1 July 2021). "No East Bengal in Calcutta Football League? IFA to consider shorter format". The Bridge. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
5. "Indian Football Association plans Premier Group A from August". The Telegraph. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
6. "Calcutta Football League pullout may relegate SC East Bengal, says Indian Football Association". Firstpost. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
7. "আগস্টের তৃতীয় সপ্তাহেই শুরু কলকাতা লিগ, নিয়মে একাধিক বদল". sangbadpratidin. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.