Hero Super Cup 2023: Hyderabad FC vs Aizawl FC Live Updates

4:45 PM IST: Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s LIVE COVERAGE of the Hyderabad FC vs Aizawl FC match in the Hero Super Cup 2023. The kick-off is at 5:00 PM IST! I’m your host Keshav Verma, and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises a fascinating evening of football. Please wait for 30 Seconds for the Live blog to load.

Hero Super Cup 2023: Hyderabad FC vs Aizawl FC - Build-up

Last season’s ISL champions Hyderabad FC make their Hero Super Cup debut against former I-League champions Aizawl FC in the opening match of Group B at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri on Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 5:00 pm IST.

Hyderabad, who finished second in this season’s league stage, were eliminated on penalties by eventual champions ATK Mohun Bagan after both semi-final legs ended goalless. In the pre-match press conference, head coach Manolo Marquez expressed his desire to end the season with silverware.

He said, “It’s been a long season. We began with the Durand Cup, the ISL, and now we have the Hero Super Cup – the season’s last tournament. The idea is to be champions here.

“We are 16 teams here, and each of them are here to try and do their best. We’ve got a 25-man squad, but not everyone is fully fit at the moment, like Bartholomew Ogbeche and Hitesh Sharma. But we want to play in the best way possible,” Marquez added.

Although Aizawl failed to win any of their last seven I-League games, a battling 1-0 victory over TRAU FC in the Qualifiers ensured them a spot in Group B. The Reds’ assistant coach Victor Lalbiakmawia stated that his boys are up for the challenge.

“As an I-League team, it will not be easy. But we’ve got young and talented players who will fight for the team. We will have matches against good teams, which is very morale-boosting for us,” he said.