It has now become clichéd to discuss football fever in Kerala every time major international tournaments like the World Cup or Euro Cup or Copa America arrive. But, as Argentina and Brazil are going to lock horns in the final match of the Copa America tournament at Rio de Janeiro’s historic Maracana stadium on Sunday morning, it is something that is special for the football crazy south Indian state, where the two teams from South America have a huge fan base. When both Euro Cup and Copa America tournaments commenced together, discussions on fan groups in the state were mostly focused on the former. There was not much fanfare for the matches in Copa America. However, it seems that after arch rivals Brazil and Argentina entered the final of the Copa America tournament, the discussions and debates have completely shifted from the Euro Cup to the final match of Copa America.
Even amidst strong lockdown restrictions imposed by the Kerala government to prevent further spread of COVID-19, football lovers across the state, especially football clubs in Malabar districts are all geared up for the match between their two favourite teams. When fan groups of Brazil and Argentina are busy with debates in WhatsApp groups and Clubhouse, local clubs and football organisations are busy organising online prediction contests, games and betting. Fans of Argentina are hopeful that Lionel Messi will lift his first major trophy for his country, which hasn’t won any since 1993. Brazil fans are banking their hopes on the performance of their captain, Neymar.
“A final match between Argentina and defending champions of the tournament Brazil was what most of the fans had dreamed of. The match for the South American title would be a memorable one forever. We are really excited and eagerly waiting for the moment of kick-off, in the final match,” says NV Subair, president, Nainan Valappu Football Fans Association (NVFFA), in Kozhikode. “It is disappointing that people cannot watch the match on big screens at public places, due to lockdown restrictions. But, it will not affect the spirit of the fans who are engaged in strong debates on WhatsApp and Facebook groups, which were created exclusively for the discussions on the final match of the tournament. Even fishermen groups are busy with debate sessions as they make their way to the sea on mechanised boats,” he adds.
When football started to become popular in Kerala in the 60s and 70s, the two major international players were Diego Maradona from Argentina and Pele of Brazil. Now, legendary footballer Lionel Messi from Argentina and Neymar from Brazil enjoy a lot of support. Fans of Messi naturally support the national team of Argentina and fans of Neymar support the Brazilian team.
According to Aneesh P Nair, sports journalist at Mathrubhumi daily in Kozhikode, fan fights have completely shifted to the virtual space due to restrictions on physical gatherings. “Earlier, there used to be public rallies to display the strength of each fan group and there were public screenings of matches. This time, there are no flex boards and hoardings on the streets. Fan groups are instead active on social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Clubhouse,” he says.
Irshad NV of Nainamvalappu in Kozhikode, who is an ardent fan of Neymar and the Brazilian football team, says that lockdown restrictions have not dampened the spirit of football lovers in his village. “We are excited that Brazil is going to take on Argentina in the final match of the Copa America tournament. We are planning various programmes in our village to set a festive mood, following COVID-19 protocol. We will raise huge flags of Brazil in our coastal village and we will distribute sweets including payasam if Brazil wins the match,” adds Irshad. His neighbour, Muhammed Sifad, is confident that Argentina will lift the cup as all players including Messi are in good form. “We will celebrate the victory of Argentina on Sunday morning by launching a special WhatsApp group for online celebration. We are waiting for the moment when Messi lifts the cup”, he says.
In Malappuram, there are no big flex boards and banners on the roads as authorities have launched a special drive to prevent violation of lockdown rules on Saturday and Sunday. But the pulse of the hinterland is evident on social media groups. “There are strong competitions between the fans of Brazil and Argentina in the online world. Fan groups are fighting with each other by posting statuses, videos and memes, as they are unable to take the fight to the physical public space,” says Ashraf, state general secretary of Kerala Sevens Football Association.