Spreading the beautiful game across different regions of the country is one of the key objectives in Vision 2047, and the Federation’s plan to host the Hero Super Cup in Kerala, where both Hero ISL and Hero I-League teams will come together, is part of it. the-aiff.com is currently in Malappuram and Kozhikode and is following the progress of the clubs in the Hero Super Cup closely in a series of stories. 

AIFF Media Team

MANJERI: In their second fixture of the Hero Super Cup 2023, Aizawl FC and Odisha FC will clash on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri.

Aizawl suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of Hyderabad FC in the previous game and will be looking to bounce back into the tournament. On the other hand, Odisha FC played out a 1-1 draw against East Bengal FC in their first fixture. The two sides will have a lot at stake when they clash heads tomorrow and their respective head coaches revealed their preparations for the match.

Aizawl, who finished 7th in the Hero I-League 2022-23 season, will be aiming to prove a point against Odisha. “The change we need is in our mindset. We must have the confidence that we can compete with the best teams in the country,” stated their coach, Caetano Pinho.

Pinho oozed optimism ahead of the match and insisted that “The People’s Club” will give their everything on the pitch. “We will try to take out positives from our first match and do our best to win this time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hero Indian Super League side Odisha FC, too, had a not-too-memorable season where they finished sixth. Regardless of the ISL performance, they had several positives to take from their first game and will look to have a good campaign in the Super Cup. 

An equaliser scored by winger Nandha Kumar earned them a point against East Bengal in the previous match. With the pole position in Group B still up for grabs, the Clifford Miranda-coached side will target nothing less than three points against Aizawl.

The match between Aizawl FC and Odisha FC will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Network and will be streamed live on the FanCode app from 5 p.m. IST.