Samaleswari SC to host Dempo SC in IFL Gameweek 2 at Birsa Munda on 5 November 2026
Samaleswari SC will take on Dempo SC at the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Rourkela on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in an Indian Football League match scheduled to kick off at 18:30 IST. The fixture opens Gameweek 2 of the IFL and returns top-tier domestic action to Odisha after a gap.
The match pits IFL debutants Samaleswari against a Dempo side sitting joint-top of the table after the opening round. Samaleswari lost 3-2 to Gokulam Kerala in their opener, while Dempo edged Bengaluru United to collect three points. Both clubs are led by Indian coaches: Dempo by Samir Naik and Samaleswari by Abdul Azim Siddique.
Samaleswari fought back from 2-0 down in their debut away game, having trailed at the 25th minute before Goloui and Jorge Pereyra Diaz converted spot-kicks to draw level at 2-2. A late goal by Crislan in stoppage time denied the Odisha side any points in Calicut. ISL veteran Jorge Pereyra Diaz was singled out for an encouraging performance and will aim to influence Samaleswari’s home debut in Rourkela.
Dempo required more than 90 minutes to find a winner in their opening match, with Asonaning Budu scoring in injury time to secure a 1-0 victory and earning Man of the Match honours. The Goan outfit registered 20 shots in that game but had only five on target, underlining a low conversion rate from their chances. Dempo will look to make it two wins from two as they travel to Odisha.
Khel Now’s predicted lineups for the fixture list Samaleswari as: Aaryan Anjaneya (GK); Issah, Wani, Harijan; Arago, Bhat, Panna, Ishan Pandita, Kartik Choudhary; K Amarjit Singh; Jorge Pereyra Diaz. Dempo’s projected XI is: Subhajit Bhattacharjee (GK); Pednekar, Unnikrishnan, Budu; Rane, Oliveira, Borges, Bagkar, Buam; Owusu, De. Indian U17 captain at the FIFA U17 World Cup, Kiyam Amarjit Singh, is expected to carry responsibility for midfield control and tempo for Samaleswari.
The preview notes Dempo’s midfield options include a Goan player with extensive Indian Super League experience at clubs such as North East United FC, Mumbai City and Kerala Blasters before returning to Goa with Dempo SC. Borges is identified as a player who will have a significant defensive and box-to-box role and who faces the task of containing Pereyra Diaz and Amarjit. Both squads are reported to be available apart from an injury concern.
The fixture will be played on Thursday, 5 November 2026, at 18:30 IST at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha; the match and the remainder of the IFL 2026-27 season will be broadcast live on DD Sports with live streaming on Waves OTT.