Ambitious South United set for Durand Cup debut

Bengaluru: The oldest football tournament in Asia, and the third-oldest in the world, has a new entrant from Bengaluru. 

Almost 13 years since they came into existence, having yo-yoed between the lower divisions in the city, South United FC have taken an enormous step in their leap from boys to men. 

The club will make its debut in the 134th edition of the Durand Cup and start their campaign against Indian Super League-club East Bengal FC on July 23. 

The other two teams from Group A are Indian Air Force and I-League side Namdhari FC. They will battle it out against South United on July 27 and July 30, respectively.

SUFC’s ticket to the tournament has everything to do with what has happened on the pitch and everything that has also happened off it. 

“We’ve been working closely with the Durand Cup,” SUFC Director Sharan Parikh told DH. 

“It is not that we got a slot by talking to them. There are so many clubs that are more than willing to participate. Getting a slot confirms that we are deserving for the programme we offer. It was given on merit and I’m very happy about it because it’s a kind of recognition we get for the work we do.”  

Football clubs in India are not new to juggling between financial instability, troubles with the facility, lack of grassroots pathway and exposure. However, SUFC are truly changing the game. 

“There are very few football clubs in the country which offer an integrated football programme. They are mostly old school and not progressive in terms of modern football. I call it a support system. It is not just on the field training but also in terms of other aspects from nutrition, psychology and strength and conditioning. That’s how we started addressing this gap that is prevalent in Indian football,” said SUFC CEO Mohamed Rafik. 

“Across levels, from grassroots level to the senior team, as a country, we are as competitive as any Asian counterpart at the youth level. But from youth level to the senior level, we drop big time. The reason is obvious. It’s the lack of competition. “

Talking about the squad, especially the local talent, the heartbeat of any football club, South United have been putting in extra effort to churn it out. 

“In terms of the team and preparation, we have done a Pan-India scouting, going to close to 16 states and picking players from across. Having said that, we have given due importance to the local players. If I am not wrong, we as a club have given the opportunity to most (with respect to numbers) of the local players.”

SUFC have been ticking the right boxes so far, however, with mighty ambitions come steeper challenges and they will need to be prepared for what is to come.   

“Our aspiration is to play in the I-League and eventually ISL. In the long term, it has to happen organically. We are very hopeful that, over a period of time, we will achieve the results we are aspiring for.”

Where the story leads remains to be seen.

However, come July 23, for most of the players -- who will don the South United Football Club jersey, be it on the field at or on the sidelines the Vivekananda Yuba Bharti Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, this will be the grandest stage they would be playing on so far in their careers.