By Soumo Ghosh,
AIFF Media Team

KOLKATA: The Hero I-League Qualifier 2020 — the first sporting event to be held in India after the nationwide Lockdown is set to host a number of illustrious foreign players who could be crucial to the fortunes of their respective sides.

“It’s a good thing that we are resuming footballing action once again in India,” Mohammedan SC striker Willis Plaza said to i-league.org. I can imagine that it’s been extremely difficult to make all the arrangements to make this tournament happen. But the authorities have done it, and have done it wonderfully. But it is all for the better. The Covid bubble is very much necessary to keep us all safe.”

William Opoku, who has won the Hero I-League with Minerva Punjab back in the 2017-18 season will be looking to impart his experience in the FC Bengaluru United camp in the Hero I-League Qualifier 2020.

“I had my doubts about when football could finally start here in India. But I’m extremely delighted happy that we are actually resuming more or less in time for the 2020-21 season. This means a lot for sport in India, not just Indian Football,” said Opoku.

Opoku, who has played for the Middlesborough U-23 side in his younger days, has discussed how the restrictions are in England, with some of his old mates from the club.

“It’s been quite similar to what we are facing here as well. The players are not allowed to leave their hotels apart from matches and training sessions, tests are being conducted every few days, and social distancing protocols are being followed very closely,” Opoku informed.

“As a footballer, you just cannot sit back at home and relax. If football is back, you have to be out there on the pitch, and that is the thing that will make you happy,” he continued.

ARA FC defender Aboubacar Camara decided to stay back in India and play football instead of going back to his home in Guinea — a decision that meant that he missed the birth of his son.

“Yes, it was a difficult time, when my wife was giving birth to our second child, and I was here in India, but I decided to stay back,” said Camara.

“If I play here, it means I can earn money and send it back home which will benefit my family at the end of the day. So I decided that I will only go back after I play this season, and I’ll keep sending money back home to my family every month,” he stated.

“Of course they do worry. You may be anywhere in the world right now, and the virus could affect you. They keep watching the news, and we always talk to each other. Sometimes, I have to stay up till 1 or 2 am to be able to see the faces of my children on video call,” Camara continued.

However, now that he is inside the COVID-19 safety bubble that is imposed on all the five participating teams – ARA FC, FC Bengaluru United, Mohammedan SC, Bhawanipore FC, and Garhwal FC – Camara feels much more secure.

“I was mostly staying home during the lockdown. Sometimes I would go to the gym, or a nearby ground. But now I feel a lot safer inside the bubble. A lot of safety precautions are being taken and I’m very happy about that,” he said. “At the end of the day, I am a footballer, and if football is being played, I need to accept the safety precautions and regulations, and just enjoy my football.”

While footballing action is yet to resume in Plaza’s homeland, cricket is a sport that did resume, which saw the completion of the Caribbean Premier League last month. The CPL was in fact won by Plaza’s home franchise Trinbago Knight Riders.

The Mohammedan striker feels that the safety regulations in the CPL and those in the Hero I-League Qualifier are of a similar nature, with the matches being played in front of empty stands, keeping in line with the COVID-19 safety procedures.

“Cricket did resume back in my country. Even the CPL had a lot of restrictions due to the safety procedures,” said Plaza. “One of the biggest points was that there were no supporters in the stands, and that is understandable in this situation.”