Stars like John Gregory, who helped Chennaiyin FC to the Indian Super League title in the 2017-18 season, Chennaiyin’s two-time ISL champion Raphael Augusto, last season’s I-League top scorer Alex Sanchez and C.K. Vineeth are set to feature in the new Mahindra Super League Kerala.
The tournament begins at the Nehru Stadium here on Saturday night and has managed to rope in some very talented young players and the new league could be their bridge to big time.
“We are talking about a lot of young players here. My responsibility will be to improve them and help them go to a higher league and to the ISL,” said Mario Lemos, the home side Forca Kochi FC coach, here on Friday.
“The experienced players, who have played at a high level, have to be an example for the young players, they have to mentor them because these youngsters will look up to them.”
The six-team MSLK is the country’s only domestic league that allows foreign players and one prominent name, Alex Sanchez - who won the I-League best player award last season when he played for Gokulam Kerala FC – even turned down Hyderabad FC’s recent offer to play in the ISL this season to stay with Malappuram FC in Kerala’s new league.
Malappuram, Kerala’s most football-crazy district and probably its biggest nursery, will take on Forca Kochi in the opener and it has found some interesting ways to attract fans to Kochi.
“People there have offered a Rs 625 package which includes up-and-down bus tickets, the match ticket and a bottle of water. I expect a 20,000-crowd tomorrow,” Navas Meeran, the Kerala Football Association president, told The Hindu here. He expects the MSLK to fill the vacuum for football fans in the State after the ISL every season.
But, beginnings are tough. The Kerala Police is still waiting for Government clearance to release its stars, including Santosh Trophy players, for the MSLK. Around eight of them have been picked by MSLK clubs and four were to join Kochi. The MSLK could have offered the Police players a chance to improve their skills which could have helped Kerala’s Santosh Trophy team too. And some of the foreign players are yet to join teams too.
And many of the league’s clubs – Kozhikode FC, Thrissur Magic FC, Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC and Kannur Warriors FC are the MSLK’s other four teams which will play in four venues – have not had enough time for a proper pre-season.
“The short time (to prepare) is a challenge but my job is to find solutions and hopefully, I’ll find them,” said Lemos who feels Malappuram could be a very tough rival.
After a colourful opening ceremony at 6 PM IST, which will include Jacqueline Fernandez, ace musician Stephen Devassy and ‘Drums’ Sivamani, the opening match kicks off at 8 PM.
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