"Hyderabad FC have the upper hand over us" - A large section of Kerala Blasters supporters believe they are not favorites to win the ISL clash
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi is teeming with supporters of Kerala Blasters much before the ISL game is due to kick off on Saturday. If one is to sense the pulse of the city, it can be said that this sport is the glue that holds it together.
The Blasters, perched on the second position of the league table at the time of writing, will go on top of the standings if they manage to win this game against Hyderabad FC.
Although they have played one game more than FC Goa have at the moment, the Blasters will not mind the advantage it gives them. One has to be in Kochi to understand the madness that football brings to it. To put things mildly, it is the heartbeat of the city, and one that ebbs and flows with its denizens' deepest desires.
Hyderabad, who hold the edge over the Blasters by virtue of having beaten them here last season, come visiting and will be assailed with the acrimonious reception that most away teams get from the supporters of the Blasters.
The Nawabs, however, are made of sterner stuff and will be well prepared to take these challenges head-on. Known to do well when their backs are to the wall, the Yellow and Blacks will relish the challenge put to them by the Blasters on the field and the Manjappada (the home team's supporters group) off it.
Surprisingly, however, and rather anti-climactic, some of the ardent fans of the Blasters do not seem to be too confident of their team's chances in this game.
Aneesh KV, an undergraduate student at a science college, is wary of the threat posed by the Nawabs. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, he says that the visitors will be the favorites to win this game.
"Hyderabad FC have the upper hand over us. I know that we are in the second position of the league table at the moment, and also that Hyderabad are languishing near the bottom, but they are a side that relishes such challenges. We know all too well how dangerous they can be when put under pressure," he said.
Mohammad Zain Rizwan, a football coach at a local academy, praises the technical superiority of the Nawabs. Being keenly involved with the sport, he knows the intricacies of the game better than most.
"Hyderabad have been unfortunate not to have won their first game of this campaign so far. Although I will support the Blasters, I know that Hyderabad will not be easy for us to break down. Their technical positioning with the ball always holds them in good stead. If they go back to playing with the back three, they will trouble the Blasters with their passing," he said.
Vanitha Menon, a PhD scholar on biotechnology, makes sure that she does not miss a single home game of the Blasters. She also tries to travel for their away games sometimes.
"I think that the Blasters will be put through a tough test in this game by Hyderabad. It is tough to take a neutral stand in this city, but if I were to be as impartial as possible, Hyderabad have an edge over us, despite being ranked much lower in the table. As we all know, rankings matter very little in football. Hyderabad are a dangerous side, and the Blasters have to be very well-prepared," she said.
The atmosphere in Kochi on matchday is almost maniacal
The lines have been drawn in Kochi and one is either a supporter of the Blasters or is an outsider. To the travelling journalist and odd away supporter daring enough to sport Yellow and Black, pariah status is granted almost automatically.
It is interesting to note that this rivalry shared between these two teams goes so deep that not a single game has been drawn between them. The Blasters have won four games while the Nawabs have won the remaining five.
The boorish, almost maniacal cult-like standing that precedes the 'us' versus 'them' battle here in the financial capital of Kerala is addictive, and one cannot help but get drawn into it. To this date, the hosts remain acerbic about the ISL title that the Yellow and Blacks managed to usurp from under their noses in 2021-2022.
Outside of Calcutta, Goa and the northeast, such animosity towards visiting sides is hardly seen in this country, and this is where Kochi manages to maintain its partisan nature intact.
All in all, football would be nothing without such prejudice, and it will behove the traveller to understand and perhaps even get around to accepting it for as long as she remains a good sport about it.