# 2023–24 Independence Cup (Bangladesh)

The 2023–24 Independence Cup, also known as the 2023 Independence Cup was the 14th edition of the Independence Cup. A total of 13 teams were contested in the final tournament.
Bashundhara Kings is the defending champion. They have won the title by beating Dhaka Mohammedan by 2−1 goals in the final on 18 December 2023.

## Participating teams

The following thirteen teams were participated in the tournament.
| Team | Appearances | Previous best performance |
| Bangladesh Police FC | 3rd | Semi-finals (2021–22) |
| Bashundhara Kings | 4th | Champions (2018, 2022–23) |
| Brothers Union | 11th | Quarter finals (2017–18, 2018) |
| Chittagong Abahani | 8th | Champions (2016) |
| Abahani Limited Dhaka | 13th | Champions (1990, 2021–22) |
| Mohammedan SC | 13th | Champions (1972, 1991, 2014) |
| Fortis FC | 2nd | Group stages (2022–23) |
| Rahmatganj MFS | 13th | Semi-finals (2017-18) |
| Sheikh Russel KC | 9th | Champions (2013) |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | 9th | Runners-up (2012–13) |
| Bangladesh Army | 3rd | Quarter-final (1991) |
| Bangladesh Navy | 3rd | Group-stage (2022–23) |
| Bangladesh Air Force | 3rd | Group-stage (2022–23) |

## Venues

Originally the Shaheed Dhirendranath Datta Stadium in Cumilla was included as one of the host venues for the tournament, however, the district cricket league has prevented the Cumilla District Sports Association from lending the district stadium. Thus, instead of four, the tournament were held at three venues locations.
Munshigonj :
| Shaheed Bir Sreshtho Flight Lt. Matiur Rahman Stadium ||
| Capacity: 10,000 ||
| GopalganjMunshigonjDhakaclass=notpageimage| Location of the stadiums for the 2023–24 Independence Cup (Bangladesh) | |
| Gopalganj | Dhaka |
| Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani Stadium | Bashundhara Kings Arena |
| Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 14,000 |

## Round and dates

| Dates/Year | Round | Match dates |
| 27 October–18 December 2023 | Qualifying stages | 20–23 October 2023 |
| 27 October–18 December 2023 | Group stages | 27 October – 1 December 2023 |
| 27 October–18 December 2023 | Quarter-finals | 3–5 December 2023 |
| 27 October–18 December 2023 | Semi-finals | 15 December 2023 |
| 27 October–18 December 2023 | Final | 18 December 2023 |

## Draw

The draw ceremony were held on 23 October 2023 at 3rd floor of BFF house Motijheel, Dhaka. There are thirteen teams were divided into four groups. Top two team from each group will through in the Knockout stage.

## Group Summary

| Group A | Group B |
| Bangladesh Police FC | Abahani Limited Dhaka |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | Sheikh Russel KC |
| Brothers Union | Rahmatganj MFS |
| | Bangladesh Air Force |
| Group C | Group D |
| Mohammedan SC | Bashundhara Kings |
| Fortis FC | Chittagong Abahani |
| Bangladesh Army | Bangladesh Navy |
| Qualifying Pair-1 | Qualifying Pair-2 |
| Bangladesh Air Force | Bangladesh Army |
| Bangladesh Navy | Dhaka University |

## Match officials

The following officials were chosen for the competition.

### Referees

* Jashim Akther (†)
* Md Alamgir Sarker (†)
* Md Anisur Rahman Sagor (†)
* Mahmud Zamil Farouqee Nahid (†)
* Md Mizanur Rahman
* Golam Mourshed Chowdhury Nayan
* Bituraj Barua
* Md Jalal Uddin
* Md Saymoon Hasan Sany
* Bhubon Mohon Torafder

### Assistant Referees

* Md Nuruzzaman
* Sujoy Barua
* Rasel Mahmud
* Bituraj Barua
* Junayed Sharif
* Md Mizanur Rahman
* Shafiqul Islam Emon
* Bikash Sarker
* Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun
* Sheikh Iqbal Alam
* Md Shah Alam
* Sabuj Kumar Das
* Md Shohrab Hossain
* Monir Ahmed Dhali
(†): working as both referee and assistant referee.

## Qualifying play-offs

Play-off 1 :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Bangladesh Army | 2–0 | Bangladesh Air Force |
Play-off 2 :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Bangladesh Navy | 2–0 | Dhaka University |
Elimination play-offs :
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Bangladesh Air Force | 2–0 | Dhaka University |

### Matches
#### Play-off

All times at local (UTC+6)

#### Elimination play-offs
## Group stages

Key to colours in group tables :
* Group winners and runners-up advance to the Knockout-stage

### Tiebreakers

Teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tie-breaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings.
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group;
* Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
* Drawing of lots.

### Group A

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Bangladesh Police FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Sheikh Jamal DC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 3 | Brothers Union | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Abahani Limited Dhaka | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 9 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Rahmatganj MFS | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 3 | Sheikh Russel KC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Bangladesh Air Force | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | |

### Group C

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Mohammedan SC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Bangladesh Army | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 3 | Fortis FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |

### Group D

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Bashundhara Kings | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Chittagong Abahani | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 3 | Bangladesh Navy FT | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 | |

## Knockout stage

* In the knockout stages, if a match finished goalless at the end of normal playing time, extra time would have been played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner.

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 3 December–Dhaka | 3 December–Dhaka | | | |
| Bangladesh Police FC | 1 | | | |
| Bangladesh Police FC | 1 | 15 December –Gopalganj | 15 December –Gopalganj | | |
| Rahmatganj MFS | 2 | 15 December –Gopalganj | 15 December –Gopalganj | |
| Rahmatganj MFS | 2 | Rahmatganj MFS | 0 | |
| 5 December –Munshigonj | 5 December –Munshigonj | | Rahmatganj MFS | 0 | |
| 5 December –Munshigonj | 5 December –Munshigonj | Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 | |
| Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 | Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 | |
| Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 | | | | 18 December–Gopalganj | 18 December–Gopalganj |
| Chittagong Abahani | 0 | | | | 18 December–Gopalganj | 18 December–Gopalganj |
| Chittagong Abahani | 0 | | | | Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 |
| 3 December –Dhaka | 3 December –Dhaka | | | | | Dhaka Mohammedan | 1 |
| 3 December –Dhaka | 3 December –Dhaka | | | | Bashundhara Kings | 2 |
| Dhaka Abahani | 1 (p)(3) | | | | Bashundhara Kings | 2 |
| Dhaka Abahani | 1 (p)(3) | 15 December–Dhaka | 15 December–Dhaka | | | |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | 1 (2) | 15 December–Dhaka | 15 December–Dhaka | | | |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | 1 (2) | Dhaka Abahani | 0 | | | |
| 5 December –Dhaka | 5 December –Dhaka | | Dhaka Abahani | 0 | | | |
| 5 December –Dhaka | 5 December –Dhaka | Bashundhara Kings | 4 | |
| Bashundhara Kings | 2 | Bashundhara Kings | 4 | |
| Bangladesh Army | 1 | | | |

### Final
## Statistics
### Goalscorers

There have been 45 goals scored in 22 matches, for an average of 2.05 goals per match.
3 goals
* Jonathan Fernandes (Abahani Limited Dhaka)
* Higor Leite (Sheikh Jamal DC)
* Dorielton Gomes (Bashundhara Kings)
2 goals
* Samuel Mensah Konney (Rahmatganj MFS)
* Manas Karipov (Bangladesh Police FC)
* Edis Ibargüen García (Bangladesh Police FC)
* Samin Yasir Juel (Rahmatganj MFS)
* Muzaffar Muzaffarov (Mohammedan SC)
* Miguel Figueira (Bashundhara Kings)
1 goal
* Rakib Hossain (Bashundhara Kings)
* Minhajul Abedin Ballu (Mohammedan SC)
* Murad Hossain Chowdhury (Rahmatganj MFS)
* Rofiqul Islam Sumon (Rahmatganj MFS)
* Juwel Miah (Bangladesh Air Force)
* Ranju Sikder (Bangladesh Army)
* Emtiyaz Raihan (Bangladesh Army)
* Arif Hossain (Mohammedan SC)
* Jafar Iqbal (Mohammedan SC)
* Dipok Roy (Sheikh Russel KC)
* Rabiul Hasan (Abahani Limited Dhaka)
* Nabib Newaj Jibon (Abahani Limited Dhaka)
* Hemanta Vincent Biswas (Chittagong Abahani)
* Salim Reza (Bangladesh Navy)
* Sazzad Hossain (Sheikh Jamal DC)
* Bladimir Díaz (Sheikh Jamal DC)
* Washington Brandão (Dhaka Abahani)
* Shahriar Emon (Bangladesh Army)
* Cornelius Stewart (Abahani Limited Dhaka)
* Valeriy Gryshyn (Fortis FC)
* Boburbek Yuldashov (Bashundhara Kings)
* Mohamed Sohel Rana (Bashundhara Kings)
* Robinho Azevedo (Bashundhara Kings)
* Sunday Emmanuel (Dhaka Mohammedan)
Source: GSA

## Winners

* 13th Independence Cup (Bangladesh) 2023–24 Winners
* Bashundhara Kings Third Title

## Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:
| Fair Play Award | Fair Play Award | Best goalkeeper | Best goalkeeper | Best player | Best player |
| Mohammedan SC | Mohammedan SC | None | None | Rakib Hossain (Bashundhara Kings) | Rakib Hossain (Bashundhara Kings) |