Everyone is waiting for seven o’clock to come around the stadium and sitting on the wooden steps
Kochi. After a gap of two years, football is playing in Kochi. The moment fans have been waiting for is just hours away. Fans from districts ranging from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram flock to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. People are gearing up to welcome the ISL by painting their faces and owning Blasters jerseys.
There are not only football fans but also people who come to enjoy the fun in Kochi. “Football is watched on TV. Coming to the stadium for the first time. I wanted to see the first game. It worked, and a lot of effort was made for the ticket. Then it was signed through a friend. Now it’s a chore until entering the stadium,” says Ashwathi A, a resident of Kasaragod Bantatukka.
The arrival of fans is sure to turn the stadium into a sea of yellow. Everyone is waiting for seven o’clock to come around the stadium and sitting on the wooden steps. From infants to the elderly, they are dressed in yellow. Alfred Francis, a native of Kottayam, replied to the question of how the game would be played.
“This time we will break it anyway. I am the person who went to Goa to watch the final last time. Can I stay at home when the game comes in Kochi? It is expected that Aasan and Piller will destroy East Bengal today. Why should we be afraid when we have Luna and Sahal,” asks Joseph.
Among the fans there are those who came to Kochi after overcoming many challenges. When Amrit from Alappuzha left home, he forgot to buy a ticket and came to Kochi in a rush to buy a ticket. There were some people in the premises who did not get tickets and were circling the stadium hoping to somehow get them at the last minute.
Kerala Blasters will face East Bengal today in the opening match of ISL. The match will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi at 7:30 PM. The Hornets will be confident of reaching the finals last season. The team has managed to win only one out of four matches against East Bengal.