PANAJI
Barring for their virtual nomenclature presence (Kerala Blasters) in the Indian Super League where a regional player is a rarity, the ‘God's own country' has been lost to the country's premier club competition, I-League, for quite some time now. Teams from Kerala like FC Kochi, State Bank of Travancore (SBT) and Viva Kerala FC (later renamed as Chirag United) came but failed to make an impression and faded away.
The recently organised all-India invitational club tournament AWES Cup, among other outstation and local clubs, saw a newly formed Kerala-based outfit Gokulam FC in competition. The Malappuram-based side reached the finals where they lost to Dempo SC on penalties. The Kerala club is owned by Gokulam Gopalan, Chairman of Gokulam Group of Companies, who incidentally was one of the seven co-owners of Viva Kerala FC which was dissolved within eight years of its formation.
Around five years on, Gopalan formed his club on February 1, with Club Secretary, VC Praveen as a major pillar of support, while appointing former Viva Kerala gaffer Bino George as the coach for the yellow and red brigade. The team has its own home ground, Manjeri Payanad Stadium, in Malappuram.
Speaking to ‘The Goan', Gokulam coach George was forthcoming on his role with the I-League aspirants and their ambitions in taking the team forward. On his team's shootout loss in the AWES Cup final, the former Mohammedan Sporting player Said, "It was our bad luck. We got more chances than Dempo. The goal that we conceded was an own goal and it being a final, my boys felt a little effect of pressure. Besides, our star striker Adelaja Somide's enforced substitution midway through the game aided the Goan team. If Somide could have continued, he could have scored more goals (Somide was the leading goal-scorer coming into the final and added another in the match)."
Ahead of the resulting tie-breaker, there was a dispute regarding the rules and regulations with Gokulam FC looking to effect their third and last substitution. Giving clarity on what transpired, the first Pro License holder from Kerala stated it was a strategic move to utilise their reserve goalkeeper, Ajmal PA in place of Hemanta Gosh between the sticks. "I had asked the fourth official Sebastiao Faleiro if after regulation time, I could switch our goalkeeper for the penalty shootout with a substitution left. While he gave his nod, the referee, Anthony Elvis Simoes said it was not possible. This was when the Match Commissioner Egidio D'Costa intervened to say it was within the laws to effect the change," George stated.
Stating that the AWES Cup was a new experience to him and the side under his stead, George revealed that the 23-strong team selected is on a three-year contract, with most of the boys being 21-22 years old. The captain, Sushant Mathew, is a vastly-experienced right-back who has been in the ISL with FC Pune City and Kerala Blasters FC and also played for other top clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. "Mathew inside the ground is a good role model who can control the game. He has also completed his B-License and his help doubling up as player-cum-coach can be handful," he added.
"With the AWES Cup, I have got a fair idea on how strong a team we are. I got to realise our weak points. With the tournament, not only did our players got good exposure, but made me understand which department of the game we should focus more. The sides we faced (Vasco SC, Sporting Clube de Goa, Salgaocar FC and Dempo SC) are all big teams. I can now assess players for big tournaments and accordingly decide in which area I can take in new players," he said.
AWES Cup gauged the strength of our team: Gokulam coach
In a State, where football is a sport second to none, Kerala has surprisingly not been able to serve much attention to a national team whose head coach has set a marker that youth and exceptional talent will not go unrewarded.
