On Sunday at the Mohun Bagan ground, Gokulam Kerala will face the Kerala Blasters in a key Group C match in the 132nd Durand Cup, showcasing the Kerala Derby rivalry in the football-crazy city of Kolkata.
Following the Saturday Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal, this will be the second derby in the Durand Cup. The match between Downtown Heroes of Kashmir and Shillong Lajong in Group D will then take place at Kokrajhar’s SAI Stadium.
Kerala derby in Kolkata
The matchup in Group C between Kerala Blasters of the Indian Super League (ISL) and past champions Gokulam Kerala is a football-crazed fan rivalry between north and central Kerala, one of the strongestholds of Indian football.
The match gains extra significance considering Bengaluru FC, the defending champions, have chosen to field a young team and the already defeated Indian Air Force team is the fourth club in the group, with securing the top spot in the group stage important in this edition of the Durand Cup.
Given the situation, both managers, Spanish Domingo Oramas of Gokulam and Serbian Ivan Vukomanovic of the Blasters, would exert every effort to earn three points from the match. With the talent they possess, this would result in a thrilling football match.
The Malabarians will enter the game with the assurance of having three points in their bag and would have the advantage of having played once in the tournament.
Nili Pedromo and Alex Sanchez, the team’s two Spanish forwards, appeared to be settling into a routine, while players like Sourav and Sreekuttan, who likely scored the tournament’s winning goal against the Airmen in the second half, were impressive in the opening match.
The Manjappadas, on the other side, have a quality roster and are coming off their preseason. With veterans like Rahul KP and Adrian Luna of Uruguay still shoring up their assault, coach Vukomanovic’s offensive mentality will triumph.
Read More
With players like Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Hormipam, and Naocha Singh among their ranks, the Blasters also boast a seasoned defensive unit. However, 20-year-old Nigerian striker Emmanuel Justine is a pleasant surprise up front.
Shillong take on fellow debutants Downtown Heroes
Shillong Lajong, who have played two games so far, and Kashmir’s Downtown Heroes square off in Sunday’s encounter in Kokrajhar. Both teams are making their Durand Cup debuts.
In their two games to date, Shillong has allowed 10 goals while losing to FC Goa and NorthEast United FC, respectively.
It’s fair to say that they were merely overawed by the organised professionalism and technical prowess of the two ISL teams. In their performance, the rust from playing top-flight Indian football for so long was evident.
However, they would be seeking retribution against Downtown Heroes and would prefer to end their careers with a first Durand Cup victory. It will be interesting to see what Hilal Rasool Parray and his team can do to continue their impressive run in the I-League Second Division, where they recently finished second with four victories, behind Delhi FC, who won and was promoted to the I-League. Kashmir is currently the joker in the group.
-IANS
