Hyderabad FC achieved what was most unexpected of them – breaching the fortress in Kaloor, that of the most significant of football stadiums in southern India – when they came from behind in spectacular fashion to defeat hosts Kerala Blasters 1-2 in the Indian Super League on Thursday, 7 November. The Nawabs effectively silenced the home crowd and picked up three points on a balmy evening in which all 15,000 who had gathered in Kochi had little to no hopes on what their straggling visitors could achieve.
Yet, how the Yellow and Black (playing in their blue away strip) achieved this near-impossible makes for a compelling story. Not a single eye was left dry in the Hyderabad camp after the game, with head coach Thangboi Singto taking a moment to savour the largesse of the sporting crowd in Kochi who applauded him as one of their own; indeed, he had been through some of the finest moments of his career here as assistant coach of the Blasters in the past, and now, returned as a prodigal should, leading his team to victory.
It was only characteristic of the man – perhaps the most well-behaved and dignified in Indian football – to lead his team around the park to thank their well-wishers and grant a vote of thanks to the supporters of the Blasters, who, for all their faults as perceived in the media, love the sport to bits and appreciate a good game when they see it. Their perception of the game is regarded highly by footballers across the country, and Singto did not merely pay lip service when he thanked them for their support in the post-match press conference despite Hyderabad not being the home team.
Malayalees to the rescue for Hyderabad
For all of the Blasters’ supporters’ munificence, it was a bunch of Malayalees in the Hyderabad side who had turned this game upside down and charted an improbable victory for their team in Kochi. Captain Alex Saji – a robust central defender whom this country will see a lot more of in the future – wore his heart on his sleeve and gave it his all, either when marking the usually slippery Jesus Jimenez or irritating the irrepressible Adrian Luna from wandering around like a butterfly. Muhammad Rafi, slotting in at right back, gave Mohammed Aimen some trouble at the beginning, but with the latter’s withdrawal in the first half due to injury, made a lasting impression on the game.
Abdul Rabeeh, Hyderabad’s highly-rated right-winger, had arranged for a 60-seater bus from his hometown Malappuram to ferry his family and friends, and he did not disappoint them with his star-crossed performance. Although he will be the first to admit that he could have converted a couple of chances later on in the game or better still, passed the ball to a more well-placed colleague, this was a night for celebration, not for looking into misgivings.
Another Malayalee, Abhijith PA, who found his feet after the great exodus at the club last winter, started as the central attacking midfielder after Cy Goddard found himself indisposed, and toyed with Milos Drincic and Hormipam Ruivah’s patience inside the Kerala box. The conquerers of Cochin had been greatly helped by men who knew the nature of the surface and crowd well, and who had fought excruciatingly hard to come up for air.
Shameel Chembakath, another Malayalee who is Hyderabad’s assistant coach, spoke to IFTWC after the match and mentioned how much of a hard-fought win this was. Indeed, spurred on by Noah Sadaoui’s arrival in the second half, Kerala appeared as if they had been given a second wind. The left-winger twisted and turned and ran past several Hyderabad defenders in pursuit of a goal, but was often let down by his teammates who could not quite set themselves up inside the box and lie in wait for the Moroccan’s cutback. Chembakath, however, was pleased with his team’s performance and the way his wards stuck to their guns.
“Oh, what a win! It is a very important three points for us, and I am pleased with the way the boys played. It was a hard-fought result, and I am glad that all of us stuck together till the end and made sure that the victory was assured,” said Chembakath.
Ramhlunchhunga, partnering with Rabeeh on the wings, was equally delightful with the ball at his feet. Although the usual interchanging between the two was not quite feasible in front of this tightly-marked Kerala defence, Chhunga managed to end the game with a passing accuracy of 79 per cent and a dribbling accuracy of 69 per cent. He too mentioned to IFTWC after the game that this result will go a long way in restoring confidence in the team and give the players some much-needed respite from the tough results they had to swallow all of last season.
“They marked me very tightly in this game, but I still tried my best to go forward and attack. This win is special for us because we worked very hard in training to get the details right before this match. I am sure that this victory will give all of us a major boost in confidence now,” said Chhunga.
Andrei Alba was the hero for Hyderabad
Central defensive midfielder Andrei Alba, who arrived as a free agent to the club this year, was the hero with the two goals he scored in this match, but it was also his defensive contribution that helped Hyderabad set up this victory. Partnering Isaac Vanmalsawma and later Lenny Rodrigues in the heart of the Nawabs’ midfield, Alba dictated the tempo of the game and rarely allowed Vibin Mohanan and Alexandre Coeff to come near to him with the ball. Off the ball, the 29-year-old Brazilian was equally delightful, making sure that he cut down on the spaces created by Jimenez and Luna in the final third.
“I am very happy with this win. Most importantly, we received three points. Now, we have to use this result to keep going for more such victories,” Alba, who speaks mainly in Portuguese, told IFTWC.
Hyderabad’s performance was marked by a strong defensive showing, with even their attackers falling back from their usual positions in the second half to make sure that the hosts could not come back. Their usual 4-2-3-1 turned into 4-2-4 or even 2-4-4 when defending, and it was exciting to see the manner in which they changed the rhythm of passing and crossing whenever they gained the ball in a phase of transition.
Newly signed attacker Edmilson Correia came on in the second half and brought about a flurry of chances in the final third for Hyderabad. If early signs are anything to go by, this former Saint-Etienne player’s pace and raw ability are bound to cause severe headaches to clubs in the ISL.
The Nawabs have shown, with technical ability and sheer grit, the way in which they can upturn their fortunes and pick up results when their back is to the wall. With the international break looming, the Yellow and Black have earned a well-deserved rest for the time being before they reassemble to take on Odisha at home on 25 November. It is only natural that Singto’s men, having now won two consecutive matches away from home, will want to recreate the same in front of their own supporters, who have not seen them taste victory at the Maidaan in Gachibowli since February 2023.
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