18 December 2016. ISL Final Venue at Kochi Stadium. Kerala Blasters and ATK team owners Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and organizer Nita Ambani arrive at the stadium, which is buzzing with excitement like a yellow wind.
In front of them are 13-year-old twin brothers Muhammad Ayman and Muhammad Azhar with the ISL Cup. Both of them grew up listening to the sea breeze of Lakshadweep and then playing on the green grass field of Blasters who ignited the yellow sea breeze.
Today, these brothers are just one step away from that awkward moment of their lives when they held the ISL trophy to the dream of wearing the yellow jersey of Blasters in the ISL. Both the members of the reserve squad of Kerala Blasters were the ‘double’ engine of the Blasters in the Durand Cup in Kolkata.
The second row of Blasters, consisting of Ayman, Ajsal, Aritra, Azhar, VP and Sachin, came back with a good performance despite losing to the experienced Muhammadans in the quarter.
Ayman batted in the forward line and Azhar batted in the midfield. Those who have seen Ayman’s aggressiveness, ball handling and finishing skills say with one voice that this is the birth of a future lightning star. Ayman’s goal scored in the 25th minute in the group match against Army Green in the Durant Cup is proof of this.
Azhar bowled from mid-on to VP. Without wasting any time, Vipin passes the ball to Ayman who is waiting in the right corner of the box. On the first touch, Ayman prepared the ball, took a step forward and took a measured shot with his left foot. The ball flew past the Army Green goalie and landed low to the left corner of the post. Classical finish!
Father K.C. Rafeeq is an employee of Lakshadweep Communication in Kochi. 19-year-old Ayman and Azhar started playing ball at the Antroth school ground in Lakshadweep. Both played cricket and football according to the season.
Once Ayman was selected as the best player in a football tournament held in Antroth, and the club was beaten by Azhar’s goal in the final that day. Azhar became the best player in the final. It is an experience that both of them keep in their chests.
Azhar and Ayman both want to become better players. Azhar’s favorite player is Xavi, who was a midfield legend. Ayman, on the other hand, does not have a game without Neymar. Starting from the football school of Kerala Blasters, both of them played in the under-15 and under-18 categories and reached the reserve squad.
Laced the boots for Blasters’ reserve squad in the Kerala Premier League, Developmental League, NextGen Cup and Durand Cup. Both say that the Blasters are their family that shaped their playing careers. Ayman and Azhar were members of the Lakshadweep team that played against Kerala in the Santosh Trophy South Region Championship last time.
Both of them, who look alike, are sometimes mistaken for coaches. In the post-match meeting, the coach would sometimes look at Ayman’s face and talk about Azhar. Then Ayman would slowly gesture with his eyes; That he is not me.
Both of them say in the official video shared by the club that such interesting incidents happen on and off the field. Playing together is a different feeling. Glad to be able to continue like that from a young age.
It’s bad. We are chill- say Ayman and Azhar. Kerala Blasters are going to announce the team for the new season of ISL starting on October 7. Will those teenage twins, who entered the final field of ISL holding the cup, tie their boots in the ISL after five years on the field of Kochi? There are some clues in the information coming out of the Blasters camp. If so, it will be a ‘double’ history in ISL.