One of the biggest tifo banners is likely to be spotted at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa that will host the Indian Super League final between Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) and Hyderabad FC on Sunday.
Manjapada aka Yellow Army, the famed fan base of KBFC, is keeping the details of the yellow tifo under the wraps as a surprise for the fans.
“We have made it based on a rough estimate of the dimensions of the stadium. All we can say is that it will be historic and marked with creativity not just in its making but in the way we plan to unfurl it in the stadium. And there will be yellow flares all round reminiscent of stadiums in the Europe. In short, we are all set to paint the stadium yellow,” said Somu P. Joseph, secretary, Manjapada.
Excited about watching their team in action in a final of ISL for the first time since 2016, KBFC fans are planning to flock in droves to Goa. Nearly 10,000 Manjapada members alone have already booked their tickets for the finals while many thousands more are in desperate search of tickets.
There is another challenge of finding tickets on trains with hundreds of them still in waiting list and trying all tricks to avail of the tatkal facility. Flying out is not affordable to all and even flight tickets to Goa are hard to come by.
Screening centres
Those resigned to the fate of watching the final on television are gearing up to turn the screening centres as lively as packed stadiums. “We have already received requests for organising at least three or four screening centres in every district and it will go up further by the eve of the game. Manjapada is collaborating with local clubs, corporates, hotels and even turf operators to maximise screening centres. Then there is the fan park organised directly by KBFC at their home at Kaloor international stadium,” said Mr. Joseph.
The fan park has drawn in a crowd in excess of 10,000 during the semi-final while many more thousands flocked to the screening centre on Kozhikode beach.
Neither has KBFC left any stone unturned on social media to stoke the excitement of its fans with the latest video of the coach Ivan Vukomanovic urging the fans to support the team in Goa by invoking a popular Malayalam film dialogue becoming a smashing hit.
