12 of the 21 players in the GKFC team that won against ATKMB are Kerala-born and two of them, P Rishad and Jithn MS, got on the score-sheet.
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I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC defeated Indian Super League (ISL) giants ATK Mohun Bagan 4-2 in an AFC Cup group D fixture at the Salt Lake stadium on Wednesday. The result has handed a tough reality check to the ISL outfit who are touted to win the group containing Bashundhara Kings and Maziya S&RC. However, GKFC displayed clinical counter-attacking football to get the better of the Kolkata outfit and take all three points in their maiden appearance in the continental stage. Luca Majcen scored a brace, P Rishad and Jithin MS netted a goal each for the winning side. Pritam Kotal and Liston colaco reduced the margin for ATK Mohun Bagan.
? FT | ?? @GokulamKeralaFC 4️⃣-2️⃣ @atkmohunbaganfc ??
A memorable night for Vincenzo Alberto and his men, as they make a statement on their debut on the continental stage ???#AFCCup2022 | #GFCvAMB pic.twitter.com/lvO0zMrFut
— #AFCCup2022 (@AFCCup) May 18, 2022
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Since the start of ISL in 2014, the I-League has been given a step-brotherly treatment by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The eighth edition of ISL ended in March with Jamshedpr FC winning the ISL Shield by topping the points table while Hyderabad FC lifted the ISL title courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Kerala Blasters FC in the final. Meanwhile GKFC became the first team to successfully defend the I-League title when they defeated Mohammedan SC 2-1 in the final league fixture last week. As of now, India has two top tier league’s happening simultaneously for the last couple of years. The domestic structure is set to change from the 2022-23 season with ISL set to become the top tier of Indian football and two years later, there will be promotion and relegation between the two leagues.
The ISL is a highly commercial operation which attracts greater outside investment and yields large revenues. Meanwhile I-League clubs have limited resources in comparison, yet their clubs do a much better job of upliftment of local footballers. GKFC is a very good example of how to develop a football club. The Malabarians, under the ownership of Sree Gokulam group, started in 2017 and within five years, have managed to win two I-League trophies and a Durand Cup. Moreover, they have played a key role in providing a platform for the Kerala-born players to showcase their talent and grow as a footballer. While the other big team from the coastal state, Kerala Blasters FC, had just 4 ‘malayalis’ in their team for the 2021-22 ISL season, 12 of the 21 members in the GKFC team that played against ATKMB were kerala-born. Of those 12, six players were included in the starting eleven.
GKFC’s victory is a testament to the talent we have at our disposal. None of the home-grown players in the GKFC squad had played for the national side, while all seven of the Indian players in the ATKMB starting eleven were part of the national team set up. In fact, apart from Prabir Das, the other six are regulars in Igor Stimac’s side. The Malabarians don’t have any big foreign names at their disposal and they have shown that football is a simple game, involving 22 players on a grass field and all the money that seems to talk ever so loud in the off-season, is refreshing.
