Hyderabad FC, blessed with new ownership amid the financial turmoil that they underwent over the last couple of seasons, kick off their ISL 2024-25 campaign against Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 19.
The Nawabs were in shambles last season as most of their contracted players left them midway through the campaign owing to their wages not being paid. In the end, head coach Thangboi Singto had to make do with an all-Indian squad that came last in the ISL table.
Hyderabad won but one game in the entirety of their previous campaign, and will hope that the tides have turned in their favour in the new season, after new owners BC Jindal staked claim into the club and decided to turn it into a profitable venture fast-tracking former owner Varun Tripuraneni’s departure.
The Nawabs know that this season will not be easy on them, given that FIFA and AIFF are yet to uplift the transfer bans imposed upon them for not having cleared the dues of their former players and employees. As a result, they have been able to register only those players who were free agents.
Significantly, a lot of established players from across the country terminated their contracts with their existing clubs to join them. While this may seem to be at the behest of the players themselves to resurrect their careers the best they can, it has been a godsend for the club in several ways.
The biggest name on this list is that of Ayush Adhikari, who left Chennaiyin FC in order to sign a deal with the Yellow and Black, following on the back of Leander D’Cunha, Arshdeep Singh, Devendra Murgaonkar and Lenny Rodrigues, among others.
While there has been no certainty about the foreigners who have joined Hyderabad FC at the time of writing, it has been widely reported that former Odisha FC man Cy Goddard is one of the biggest players to have put pen on paper and inked a deal.
Head coach Singto has a lot on his plate, but if his composure at the peak of Hyderabad’s discomfiture last season is anything to go by, the club is in good hands.
The former Kerala Blasters man is known for his impeccable man management and empathetic treatment of players, to go with the technical guile and accuracy that sets him apart from his colleagues in the country.
Tall challenges on hand for Hyderabad FC
The change in ownership has resurrected Hyderabad, who by all means appeared to be done and dusted had things not taken a U-turn. Former owner Tripuraneni seemed to be struggling to clear the dues the club owed to its players and staff, and all of last season was spent in trading accusations across the country.
While the lack of cohesion from the management may have led a lot of contracted players (including Indian national team regulars such as Nikhil Poojary, Chinglensana Singh and Mohammad Yasir) to terminate their existing contracts at the club and look for greener pastures elsewhere, things are bound to be different for the Nawabs this season. New owners BC Jindal will promise stability of the highest order.
As was the case last season, the Yellow and Black will go big on youth this campaign as well, with the participation of foreigners still a big doubt owing to the dual transfer bans as well as a lack of preparation time. Nonetheless, the influx of an experienced group of Indians into the side is bound to hand them an advantage.
Hyderabad play four out of their first five matches in the ISL away from home, and this is akin to throwing a baby directly into the deep end of the swimming pool. The Nawabs hardly know each other or have trained together long enough to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and this will be a veritable test of fire for them.
In fact, the Yellow and Black play just two out of their seven games in the calendar year of 2024 at home, and one can expect cracks to appear right at the beginning although coach Singto, along with his trusted assistant Shameel Chembakath will be around to mend them as and when they notice.
There are challenges galore for Hyderabad FC this season, and it will be a matter of great patience and persistence for their fans if they wish to wait long enough to see them turn their fortunes around.
Hyderabad FC’s midfield appears to be a bit thin on paper
The defence will be manned by centre-back Alex Saji, who is most probably going to be the captain as well. Mohammad Rafi as his partner and D’Cunha and Parag Shrivas as the fullbacks will make the others up.
Hyderabad’s midfield appears to be spread a bit thin on paper, with Adhikari having to take most of the responsibility along with the 37-year-old Rodrigues and young Lalchhanhima Sailo.
Their attackers, led by Murgaonkar, Abdul Rabeeh, Aren D’Silva and Joseph Sunny, appear to be the most well-established of the lot, and they will have the big task of taking on experienced defenders across the country without too many seniors to guide them.
While Singto mentioned recently that he intends not to let people forget that Hyderabad FC too won the ISL Cup in the past, it will be a tall ask for him and his staff.
He will have to make sure that the Nawabs do not falter at the sight of trouble, and give everything they have for the colours they wear. Not everyone is fortunate enough to wear Yellow and Black in life.
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