Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters FC will be aiming to finish their Durand Cup 2023 group stages with a victory as they take on the Indian Air Force Football Team at the East Bengal Ground, in Kolkata, on Monday.

The Blasters are still winless in the tournament. They went down to fellow Kerala side Gokulam Kerala FC in their opening game and were then held to a draw by Bengaluru FC, which heavily dented their chances of making it to the knockout stages.

However, the Blasters won’t have it easy against the Indian Air Force FT. They currently sit bottom of Group C and are level on points with third-placed Indian Air Force, with both sides accumulating one point each from their opening two games. The Indian Air Force began their campaign with a 0-2 defeat against Gokulam Kerala FC, followed by a 1-1 draw against Bengaluru FC. With nothing to lose, they will be looking to cause an upset against a strong Kerala Blasters FC side.

Meanwhile, the Blasters will hope to rectify their mistakes from their 2-2 draw against Bengaluru FC, which cost them points. They scored the opener early on against the Blues, but conceded two goals which saw the Blues take the lead. Eventually, a late goal from Mohammed Aimen saved them the blushes, but there were plenty of missed opportunities in that game.

Kerala Blasters FC will miss Ruivah Hormipam in their final group game, after the defender picked up a red card against Bengaluru FC. However, with a strong squad depth at their disposal, the Blasters will be aiming to give a good account of themselves and finish the group stages on a high.