NorthEast United FC will be looking to make a statement of intent with a strong start on Saturday when they host Kerala Blasters FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati in the 2016 Hero Indian Super League opener. Following the heartbreak of narrowly missing out on the semis last year, both the Highlanders and their marquee player Didier Zokora will be looking to make amends this season. Zokora, who played for FC Pune City in Hero ISL 2015, spoke to indiansuperleague.com in an exclusive chat ahead of the curtain-raiser. Here are the excerpts from the interview.How is your preparation for the second stint in the ISL?I was happy to be there because in my first season I was in Pune. But when John Abraham messaged me to join NorthEast because of my experience with European teams I was happy to come here. Being a marquee player means nothing to me because most important thing is the team. I was there at the pre-season in Dubai and we have a lot of great players and I want nobody but NorthEast to be champions. I want to prove myself on the pitch and god has given me this chance to play here. And as far as I remember the first year, the opening ceremony was at Kolkata and they won the league. Next year it was in Chennai and they won the league. So I hope this trend continues.What is your gameplan for Saturday’s match?I have no plan for Saturday’s game because all the games are equally important. First game is all about confidence and playing at home is good as the people here love football. I want to give 100% and prove we are a good team.How do you think the opening ceremony can spur you guys on?I don’t think that, that the opening ceremony is in Guwahati and we will win. But I am sure the team will improve step by step. The most important game is the first game, if we win that we get the confidence for the next 2-3 games. I am really ready for the game and am really confident. I don’t look at the big names in the dressing room like Zokora or Velez, it is a team game and is all about a collective effort.What’s your favourite playing position, central defensive midfielder or centre-back?I am really lucky to have played in both positions but it all depends on the coach [Nelo Vingada] because he is the boss. The most important thing is I want to play.How do you plan to deal with Aaron Hughes, Kerala Blasters’ marquee player this season?For me it’s just a name because all the players are equally important. I also hope that in the future ISL stops this marquee player concept. It’s a team of 25 players with same quality. For me it’s about sharing my experience with the young players so that they can learn from it. I don’t need the marquee player to be confident as I have played for clubs like Tottenham, Sevilla and have also captained Ivory Coast, and for me marquee player is just another name.What are your thoughts on NorthEast United fans?They must like the game a lot, and I am sure that on Saturday the stage will be on fire. And as a player when you see all the fans out there, you want to give more and win it for the fans who support you. And I would like the fans to keep on cheering for us so that we can prove ourselves and win it for them.
