We want to make people who watch us feel that we are enjoying every moment – SUFC centre backs S. Noel and Rowan James

Kolkata, July 25, 2025: South United FC (SUFC), the only team from South India in the 134^th IndianOil Durand Cup made their debut in Asia’s oldest football tournament against 16 time champions and Kolkata giants, Emami East Bengal at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on the opening day. The result might not have gone their way, losing 5-0 to a more experienced team. Even as the match was one sided, the performances of two youngsters, S. Noel and his centre back partner Rowan James caught the attention of the crowd, whose heroics ensured that the score line did not go out of hand in favour of East Bengal.

“It was a dream come true moment for us to play in Durand. Most teams like us do not get the opportunity to play in this tournament and we felt honoured to play in this tournament. For us to be even here is a big thing”, said Noel who is also the captain of the Bengaluru Super Division Club.

Salt Lake Stadium is one of the most hallowed football clubs in the world which has seen the legends of Indian football make their name and for two youngsters from Bengaluru, to step onto that same field was a goosebumps moment, “Playing in Salt Lake in front of such a crowd gave us goosebumps”, said Rowan, who hails from Ulsoor in Bengaluru, the same location where SUFC is situated in the city. “It was an opportunity for us that if you perform well, so many things can open up and you don’t know who notices us. You just play your heart out and just enjoy every moment in the field”, Rowan added.

That was the thought process of both Rowan and Noel, to enjoy every moment so that if anyone is seeing them, they should feel that they are enjoying the game and are playing like the moment will never come again. “We have to enjoy each and every moment out there and make others also feel the same which we did in the match also and I told Rowan also to do the same, just enjoy the moment”, said Noel. “I think we gave everything we had and what we had been taught, everything out on the day”, Rowan added.

At 24 years, Noel is one of the senior most players in the side, leading a much younger team including the 20 year old Rowan and both players have started to form a good partnership between themselves. Both Noel and Rowan joined SUFC in the 2024 season and have been the mainstays in the team from then playing together in the centre of defence. “Our understanding is getting better and better every day. The main reason is because of our communication. We communicate a lot and it helps us understand our position during the game so that we can coordinate better and avoid mistakes”, Rowan and Noel said about their partnership in the centre of defence.

South United’s pathway for young players

Rowan joined SUFC Under – 18’s from Snipers FC who were playing in the fourth division of Bengaluru football and joined FC Bengaluru United later next year and then joined back with SUFC again. According to him what SUFC does differently is to give chances for younger players by providing them a clear pathway from the academy to the senior side. “I feel that with the teams we see in Bangalore and however it is, they have their own way that go about it. But I feel that South United has a very specific way where they don’t guarantee everything but they just tell you that if you follow a process there is something that is going to come out in the end which will benefit you”, said Rowan about SUFC.

Durand Cup provides clubs like SUFC the opportunity to go shoulder to shoulder with the biggest clubs in the country and experience top level football and for players like S. Noel and Rowan James, it might be the perfect ground for their careers to take a different path and continue the same partnership in the centre of the pitch and make the crowd feel that they are enjoying football, every moment.

SUFC will face Indian Air Force FT on 27^th July at the VYBK and then end their group stage matches against I-League side Namdhari FC on 30^th July at Kishore Bharati Krirangan.