Hyderabad vs Hyderabad = Mahindra vs Churchill

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">MUMBAI: They have been two of the finest Indian footballers of two different generations. On Friday at Cooperage, Syed Nayeemuddin and Shabbir Ali, both from Hyderabad, will match their wits against each other. <br /><br />The venerable Nayeem <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">saab</span> is with Mahindra United while the affable Shabbir bhai with Churchill Bros.The two sides play their opening matches of the ONGC 9th National Football League with the jeepmen hoping to capitalise on a home advantage. The coincidences don’t just end there. The journeyman coaches have been recently enlisted to the sides which have been going through a lean phase this season. <br /><br />“Churchill didn’t do too well in the Goa League (they finished sixth),� informed Shabbir. Mahindra won the the Mumbai league but, in a major blow, failed to defend their Federation Cup crown won in 2003. <br /><br />“<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Inshallah</span>, this time we will win,� said Nayeemuddin. “I’m surprised with the talent that they have had in the past years Mahindras have never won the NFL. They should have been the best in Asia.� <br /><br />While the jeepmen have been lucky to always have the services of a clutch of national players, they never seem to have hit upon the right foreign combo. Nayeemuddin sent back three players and after a few trials have narrowed their options. <br /><br />As reported in the TOI on Thursday, Brazilian Flavio Rodrigues is one of them. While a small hitch is holding up Nigerian Mike Okoro’s move from Poland, a second Brazilian Rodrigo Almeida will not be available for Friday’s tie.<br /><br />Nayeemuddin went ga-ga over Rodrigues. “He is very talented. He has excellent ball sense and knows when to release the ball, switch flanks... He claims to have played with Romario and has shown <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">jalwa </span>in the few days he has been here.� <br /><br />Mahindra will miss stopper-back Mahesh Gawali who is recuperating from an appendicitis operation.</div> </div>