Durand Cup 2023: Delhi FC lock horns with mighty Hyderabad FC

Delhi FC are new entrants in the I-League, whereas Hyderabad FC are ISL champions.

Double-headers continue in the 132nd IndianOil Durand Cup as the first Sunday of the tournament brings two matches which would seemingly be comfortable outings for the fancied teams involved. In the first game at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Delhi FC, newly promoted to the second division I-League, make their IndianOil Durand Cup debut against 2021-22 Indian Super League (ISL) champions Hyderabad FC, while in the second local giants East Bengal take the field for the first time in the tournament, against the Bangladesh Army Football Team (BAFT) at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).

The Group E game in Guwahati is scheduled for an afternoon 2.30pm kick-off while the Group A game in Kolkata kicks-off at 4.45pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

The Nizams take on the pluck of Delhi FC

Even though Hyderabad FC go into Sunday’s game after just four training sessions at home, with a new look squad and a new first team coach in Conor Nestor as well. However, they still possess enough quality to put it across Delhi FC. The team from the capital though has been on a good run, winning the third-division league and have assembled a squad of players who have enough experience of the Indian national circuit.

Speaking ahead of the game, the 39-year-old Irishman Conor Nestor said, “The training sessions have been good. Some have played a lot and are well-known and some haven’t played much, but I can see the potential. It’s very much a new chapter in a new direction for us. No coach wants to see massive changes and ideally, the changes won’t be as dramatic as they are.”

Those changes probably point to the new signings they have this season like Aaryan Saroha, Jonathan Moya, Joe Knowles, Petteri Pennanen, Vignesh and Makan Chote among others. Among those who have “played a lot” will be their pillar in midfield Brazilian Joao Victor.

Delhi FC have a side with enough pluck with the likes of Vinil Poojary, Himanshu Jangra, Girik Khosla and Bali Gagandeep also bringing in a lot of experience. If Hyderabad do not manage to get their combination right, given it’s the first game of the season, Delhi might even pull-off a surprise.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.