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 have 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.

Soumo Ghosh
AIFF Media Team

KOZHIKODE: Kerala Blasters FC, possibly the most popular football club in God’s Own Country, will be looking for a new home as they shift base to Kozhikode for the Hero Super Cup, as they start their campaign against Hero I-League champions RoundGlass Punjab FC at the EMS Stadium on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

Blasters, who had made it to the Hero ISL play-offs, before bowing out to Bengaluru FC in a rather heated match, will be on the lookout for redemption as they begin their Hero Super Cup campaign.

Assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed said, “We have come with a positive frame of mind and will try to reach the last round of the Hero Super Cup. It’s very important that we start the tournament on a positive note and then move on from there.”

Ishfaq believes that his side is in a tough group, and the players will need to pull up their socks in order to negotiate their way to the semi-finals.

“Sreenidi, RoundGlass Punjab, and Bengaluru FC are all good teams, and we need to put our best foot forward against them all,” said Ishfaq. “The most important thing is that we start the tournament on a good note. If you want to be one of the best teams, you must beat the best teams out there.”

Quizzed about the opponents, Ishfaq heaped praises on the Hero I-League champions.

“They are the Hero I-League champions, and of course are a great team,” said Ahmed. “We have all the respect in the world for them, but we will look to play good football to our best potential.”

The Hero Super Cup has not yet started and the talk of the town is already about the support that Kerala Blasters would enjoy, even if they are around five hours north of their traditional home.

“I have myself played here in Kerala many times before, and have always enjoyed good support here,” he said. “I’d love to see the Yellow Army here supporting us in numbers. It’s always great to see fans around.”

RoundGlass Punjab, with their win in the Hero I-League, are now looking forward to promotion to the Hero ISL, and head coach Staikos Vergetis believes that this is a good opportunity for his side to measure up against the teams from the top tier.

“The Hero Super Cup will be a good test for the boys. We want to see what distance we still have to cover in order to reach that level,” said Vergetis. “Kerala Blasters will be a strong unit to play against, and the match against them will show us how much we need to improve, and how our levels are.”

The Greek coach erred on the side of discipline from his boys, in order to progress from Group A.

“We won the Hero I-League almost a month ago, so we need to make sure that we are disciplined and maintain focus,” he said. “We have some very competitive games ahead, and they will be a measure of how strong we are against these teams.”RoundGlass Punjab’s match against Kerala Blasters will kick off at 8.30 pm IST, and will be broadcast and streamed live on the Sony Sports Network and FanCode, respectively.