The Kerala group for the Santosh Trophy’s ultimate part, which was introduced in Kochi on Wednesday.
| Picture Credit score: Stan Rayan
Actual Malabar FC’s 25-year-old midfielder P.P. Mohammed Safneed, who led Calicut College to the Nationwide inter-university title two years in the past, is the lone new face within the Kerala soccer group for the Santosh Trophy’s ultimate part which begins in Arunachal Pradesh on February 21.
The Kerala Soccer Affiliation has made three modifications to the group, which performed within the Nationwide championship’s preliminary part in Goa in October. Navas Meeran, the KFA president, introduced the group right here on Wednesday night.
“We needed to omit Bijesh Balan and Okay. Junain who’re injured and have introduced in Akhil J. Chandran, Gifty Gracious and Safneed,” mentioned Satheevan Balan, the chief coach, who guided Kerala to the Santosh Trophy title in 2018.
The coach was eager on choosing Sports activities Academy Tirur’s Muhammed Mahdi, who was adjudged the perfect participant within the current Kerala Premier League. However the midfielder had suffered an damage within the ultimate and needed to be dominated out.
“He would have been within the taking part in 11,” mentioned Balan.
Balan feels Kerala, which is in Group ‘A’ with host Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam and Providers, is in a troublesome pool.
“We’re in a powerful group. Since it’s the host, Arunachal could have a powerful group… they might even carry gamers from exterior. Providers is powerful too… and as Meghalaya and Assam shall be taking part in in nearly house circumstances, they are going to be powerful too,” the chief coach instructed The Hindu.
“However the benefit is, 4 groups every from the 2 teams qualify for the following stage (quarterfinals) so we now have to win no less than two matches. Will probably be okay if we get a draw towards some others.”
Kerala opens its marketing campaign towards Assam on February 21 and matches shall be performed on artificial turf.
The squad: Goalkeepers: Okay. Muhammed Azhar (Mlp, Kerala Police), Sidharth Rajeevan Nair (Koz, Kerala United), P.P. Muhammed Nishad (Mlp, East Bengal FC).
Defenders: Belgin Bolster (Tvm, KSEB), G. Sanju (Ekm, Kerala Police, vice-captain), R. Shinu (Tvm, KSEB), Mohammed Salim (Ktm, KSEB), Okay.P. Sarath (Tsr, Sree Kerala Varma School), Nithin Madhu (Ekm, Kerala United), Akhil J. Chandran (Ekm, Gokulam Kerala), V.R. Sujith (Tsr, Sree Kerala Varma School).
Midfielders: V. Arjun (Koz, KSEB), Jithin Gopalakrishnan (Pkd, Black Horse FC), Gifty Gracious (Wyd, KSEB), P.P. Mohammed Safneed (Mlp, Actual Malabar), Nijo Gilbert (Tvm, KSEB, captain), Okay. Abdhu Raheem (Idk, Basco), N.P. Akbar Sidhique (Mlp, Wayanad United FC).
Forwards: E. Sajeesh (Pkd, Kerala Police), S. Muhammed Ashiq (Pkd, Gokulam Kerala), B. Naresh Mlp, Muthoot FA), E.Okay. Riswan Ali (Knr, Kerala United).
Officers: Satheevan Balan (chief coach), P.Okay. Assis (assistant coach), Harshal Rahman (goalkeeper coach).
