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Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, has long lost its tag as the breeding ground for footballers of national repute.
However, with the introduction of Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League in 2019-20 and Sreenidi Deccan FC in the I-League in 2021-22, the capital of the Deccan is gradually dipping its toes back into the seas of footballing glory.
Come Friday, the city will erupt in joy given that the two clubs will take on each other in the Kalinga Super Cup.
The Kalinga Super Cup, a round-robin plus knockout cup competition, includes sides from both the ISL and I-League, and fate has conspired for these two clubs from the city of pearls to come up against each other for the first time.
In short, the stage is set for the first-ever Hyderabad derby.
Both sides are extremely excited about it, and although it is a dead rubber (both have been knocked out of the Super Cup owing to defeats in their first two matches to East Bengal and Mohun Bagan), the anticipation of playing in such a historic match is not lost on them.
Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani, who is a veritable legend of the Nawabs, spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda ahead of the game on what it means to the club and for him personally to be part of such a historic occasion.
Kattimani is remembered most fondly for playing his part in the famous penalty shootout in the final of the 2021-22 Indian Super League, which the Yellow and Black won by beating Kerala Blasters.
"The first derby is indeed a historic occasion for both clubs. It brings lots of excitement to the city, showcasing the growth and passion for football in the Hyderabad region. Also, it is a great opportunity for the fans to support their own team in full strength," Kattimani told Sportskeeda.
"The performances in the last two Super Cup games give us a lot of confidence" - Laxmikant Kattimani
The Nawabs did extremely well in their first two matches- against East Bengal and Mohun Bagan- but were rather unfortunate to lose them by scorelines of 2-3 and 1-2 respectively.
In the game against the Mariners especially, the Yellow and Black would consider themselves unlucky to have emerged on the losing side.
They led the game for 88 minutes before a cheeky back pass by Jeremy Zohminglua looped over Kattimani and found his own net.
A penalty conceded three minutes later was converted by Dimitri Petratos to complete a stunning Mohun Bagan comeback.
Add to that the fact that centre-back Nim Dorjee Tamang was given a second yellow card for throwing the ball on the ground in dissent at the referee's decision in the 84th minute to a foul.
Kattimani, however, is pleased with the way the team has performed so far in the competition, and looks forward to a positive result against Sreenidi Deccan at the Kalinga Stadium Pitch One on Friday.
"The performances in the last two Super Cup games give us a lot of confidence. It pushes us to work even harder in our final game against our local rivals and we will give our best to get a positive result in this game," he said, elucidating his excitement for the derby.
