It was a proud moment for Kerala Blasters fans in particular after it was announced on Friday that the JLN Stadium in Kochi would host the ISL 2016 final. The question now remains if the home team can play in the biggest match of the third season of Indian Super League.
"Kerala has been the bedrock of Indian football. It is one of the few states in the country where interest in football is unparallelled. I have always been intrigued by the pride and passion of the football fans in Kerala," mentioned Nita Ambani, one of the brains behind ISL.
"We felt that awarding the prestigious final of ISL 2016 to Kochi would be an apt ode to the State's contribution to Indian football."
To reach the target, Kerala Blasters have to cross some major hurdles. They go into a do-or-die match against NorthEast United FC on Sunday. The winner gets a place in the ISL 2016 semi final. Once they achieve the aim, the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side have to play two legged semi finals and if they do win over the two legs, the target is reached.
Kerala Blasters do have the possibility of making it to their second Indian Super League final in three years, but to lift the title at home will be something more extraordinary.
