By Akhil Rawat
KOZHIKODE: The 2023 edition of the Hero Super Cup is down to the wire – Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC will be involved in a war of attrition when they cross swords in the final at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 19:00 IST.
While Bengaluru will be vying for their second Hero Super Cup crown after winning the first edition in Bhubaneswar in 2018, it will be Odisha’s maiden attempt to claim any silverware. Both teams qualified for the Hero ISL play-offs this season. Odisha lost out to ATK Mohun Bagan at the first hurdle, while Bengaluru made it to the final but went down to the same opponents on penalties.
Tuesday will be Bengaluru’s third final of the season. They lifted the Durand Cup in September last year, where they also met Odisha in the quarter-final stage. Roy Krishna’s 121st-minute winner made the difference in a nail-biting encounter on that occasion.
Bengaluru have had their fair share of tight matches in the Hero Super Cup too. Simon Grayson’s men emerged toppers of a closely-contested Group A, finishing above Sreenidi Deccan FC, Kerala Blasters FC and RoundGlass Punjab FC with five points. In the semi-final, after keeping Jamshedpur at bay in the first half thanks to goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s heroics, Bengaluru powered through in the second half with goals from Jayesh Rane and captain Sunil Chhetri.
In the pre-match press conference, Bengaluru coach Simon Grayson said, “We went into the Super Cup with the ultimate aim to win it. It was disappointing to lose the ISL final after such a great run. But we mentioned after the game that we had another competition left to play and we’ll try to win that.”
If Bengaluru win the final of the third edition of the Hero Super Cup, they will also contest the Hero Club Playoffs for the AFC Cup Group Stage against Gokulam Kerala. Representing India on the continental stage after two years is the main prize for the club, according to captain Sunil Chhetri.
“Winning the AFC Cup play-off will be the ultimate thing. Everything comes secondary. We have been fortunate to play in a lot of AFC tournaments, but we weren’t there in the last couple of years. We will do everything to get back,” said the skipper.
Chhetri also shared his experience of winning the Hero Super Cup’s inaugural edition in 2018, where Bengaluru beat East Bengal 4-1 in the final. “We were in a similar situation back then when we went into the Super Cup after losing the ISL final to Chennaiyin. It wasn’t easy. But it was a great feeling to win the trophy. I hope we get that same kind of feeling tomorrow that we had after the final in 2018,” he said.
Odisha head coach Clifford Miranda tried to take the pressure of their maiden trophy hunt off his players by saying, “To be honest, we don’t approach this match as a ‘first final’. For us, it’s another game where we have to do the right things against a very good opponent.”
Odisha have made a habit of coming from behind to win games recently. They made it to the last four after overcoming a one-goal deficit at half-time to beat Hyderabad FC 2-1 in their last game in Group B. In the semi-finals, Odisha found themselves a goal down against NorthEast United FC inside the opening minute, but Nandha Kumar’s brace turned the tie around for them before Diego Maurício added a third late on to kill the contest.
“It’s the togetherness of the club,” is how Miranda explained his side’s fighting spirit. “We’ve got a strong-minded bunch of players, and I must give credit to them. We have some talented young players and experienced foreigners. They are one of the best I have worked with and not just in terms of quality but also the mental spirit and inclusiveness.”
-AIFF
