Bengal and Kerala, two of India’s finest teams with a rich history in the game, will clash in a blockbuster summit showdown of the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy at the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
The two states that have rightfully earned the tags of Indian football hubs are no strangers to the pinnacle of the national championships with Bengal gearing up for a record 47th final andKerala standing on the verge of playing their 16th summit clash.
Both sides have shown good form in the ongoing tournament, winning nine of their 10 games, while drawing one each.
History and form, however, have no part to play in the final on New Year’s Eve, believes Bengal head coach Sanjoy Sen.
“Perhaps reaching the (Santosh Trophy) final is an achievement for other states, but that is not the case for us. It means nothing to Bengal — zero,” he said.
“Unless we win the trophy, it all counts for nothing. Yes, we have won the tournament 32 times in the past, but the Santosh Trophy is a much bigger tournament now in terms of the number of participating states. I do not intend to downplay past achievements, but I feel that it is more difficult to win it now,” said the venerable coach.
Sen’s counterpart Biby Thomas Muttath echoed similar expectations from his home state.
“The Santosh Trophy is like a World Cup for us, back in Kerala. The minimum expectation is for us to reach the final, but of course, everyone wants a win,” he said.
In the 10 matches so far, Kerala have scored 35 goals, while Bengal netted 27 times. The former have had a number of options for their goals, Naseeb Rahman (8), Muhammad Ajsal (9), and Sajeesh E (5) leading the charts for the southern state.
But then, Kerala players are no strangers to their Bengal counterparts.
There are half a dozen players in the current Kerala squad, including the semi-final hat-trick hero Muhammad Roshal PP, who ply their trade in the Calcutta Football League and are known faces in the Maidan circle.
Bengal have been primarily reliant on their front two for the goals — Robi Hansda (11), and Narohari Shrestha (7). Sen, however, had some concern over his side’s over-reliance on the forwards.
