KOCHI: Kerala's quest for its seventh Santosh Trophy title comes in the midst of the state mourning the demise of B Devanand - who was one of its foremost footballing icons.
The former central defender was part of the Kerala team that lifted its first-ever Santosh Trophy crown in 1973 by beating the mighty Railways 3-2.
While the national championship was underway in Malappuram, Devanand had his leg amputated as he was battling limb ischemia. On Tuesday, he breathed his last in Ernakulam.
It was at the Maharajas College Ground in Ernakulam where Kerala had scripted that famous victory.
While the Santosh Trophy has been pushed down the pecking order and lost a lot of its significance, the worth of the 1973 success can be measured in gold.
During those days, before the league and club-based football competitions took shape, the Santosh Trophy was considered among the pinnacles in Indian football.
The romance hasn't died down, not at least for the football-crazy residents of Malappuram who have been filling up the stadiums to the limit to cheer Kerala on.
While the teams in the national football championship don't boast of ISL or I-League stars, it has acted as a fertile ground for scouts to pluck out the next crop of talents.
As for Kerala, while the likes of Jijo Joseph and Arjun Jayaraj who are the more senior professionals in the side have driven the host's title charge, others like Nijo Gilbert and Noufal PN have impressed.
Head coach Bino George was firmly focused on the game and admitted that the semifinal would pose a different challenge to the final round group games.
As the semi-final line-up has been decided with Kerala taking on Karnataka and heavyweights West Bengal taking on Gift Raikhan-coached Manipur, the usual suspects have made their way to the knockouts.
"It has come down to a do-or-die situation for us. The teams that have made it to the semifinals are all very good and we will have to play our best football to try and make it to the final. We will look to focus on our strengths and try to put in a good performance," said Bino prior to the match.
Speaking ahead of the crucial match, captain Jijo said that while there was a lot of focus on his performance and his importance to the team, he was focused only on the team's performance.
"The team comes first and scoring is not the most important thing for me. It is important for the team to win and that is what matters the most and we want to get into the final," said Jijo.
As for Karnataka, the Biby Thomas-led side secured a thumping 4-0 win over Gujarat to seal their passage into the semifinal. Thomas admitted that they will be playing against the crowd besides a strong Kerala outfit.
"Kerala will have the home advantage because but we will try to give our best," said Biby.
Winning the title may not have the same effect as the 1973 triumph for Kerala but it will be a fitting tribute for Devanand who was among the earliest icons of Kerala who was among those to set the ball rolling for the state to go on and make its mark in the national circuit.