Super League Kerala begins Season 3 in Kannur with new points system and expanded semis
Super League Kerala (SLK) enters its third season at the Municipal Corporation Stadium in Kannur, with the tournament due to begin on Friday and finishing touches carried out at the venue on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
The league has introduced a new points system — 3-2-1-0 — intended to remove draws: matches level at the end of regular time will go to a penalty shootout, the shootout winner receives two points and the loser one, while a regulation-time win earns three points and the loser zero. SLK will award the SLK Shield to the team finishing top of the league stage, and the knockout phase has been altered to include home-and-away semifinals, increasing the total matches from 33 to 35.
Clubs have made several coaching changes ahead of the season. Calicut FC retained Argentine coach Ever Demalde, Kannur Warriors FC appointed Russian Andrey Chernyshov after he coached Thrissur Magic FC last season, and Thrissur Magic FC hired Spaniard David Caneda Perez. Forca Kochi signed Belgian World Cupper Vital Borkelmans following a bottom-place finish last season, while Malappuram FC appointed Moroccan Karim Bencherifa and Thiruvananthapuram Komban brought in Ian Gillan.
SLK’s regulations continue to restrict the number of foreigners on the pitch to four and require teams to include two under-23 players from Kerala. The league will feature 34 foreign players representing 17 countries this season.
Broadcast arrangements have changed, with Zee Entertainment named as the new partner to telecast matches live on ZEE5 and Unite8, and Etisalat set to stream the fixtures live to audiences in the UAE.
Preparations at the Municipal Corporation Stadium included teams training on Thursday; players from defending champions Kannur Warriors were pictured training on Thursday, September 24, 2026 (photo credit: S.K. Mohan). Organisers have completed venue work ahead of the opening round of fixtures.
The tournament opens with defending champions Kannur Warriors facing Thrissur Magic in a repeat of last season’s final, a fixture both teams said on the eve of the match they approached with confidence.
