Gokulam Kerala defeated KSEB 2-1 in the final of the 2021 Kerala Premier League to be crowned champions of the eighth edition of the tournament run by the state football association.
The Malabarians have clinched their second KPL title after having become the champions of Kerala in the 2017-18 edition of the competition under the guidance of the-then head coach Fernando Varela.
This year, the Kozhikode-based club was led to the title by head coach NM Najeeb, who took charge of the reserve team at the start of the 2020-21 campaign. Under Najeeb, the team has become champions without losing a single game.
GKFC
What happened in the final?
Viknesh broke the deadlock in the 54th minute for a dominant KSEB who looked like they would add a second soon after they scored the first.
Malabarians got back into the contest in the final 20 minutes and put pressure on the KSEB defence which looked shaky. Nimshad (80') and Ganesan (92') completed Gokulam's comeback and helped the club to seal their second KPL title win.
Journey to the final
Gokulam Kerala were one of 12 teams that took part in this year's KPL. They were placed in Group A along with Basco, SAT, Kerala Police, Luca, FC Kerala.
GKFC
Najeeb's team went unbeaten and topped the group stage with 15 points to progress to the semi-final. KSEB and Kerala United, who both had 12 points, progressed from Group B.
The Malabarians took on Kerala United in the semi-final and beat them on penalties before tasting victory in the final which was held in Kochi on Wednesday.
Who is head coach Najeeb?
Najeeb is known for his coaching stint with SBT during the National Football League era. He has won a total of 42 trophies for SBT while 12 players were selected for the national team during his time with the club.
As a player, he has played for East Bengal, Titanium, and Mohammedans SC. He has also represented India and the Kerala team in Santosh Trophy. After hanging up his boots, the Keralite coached State Bank of Travancore for 15 years.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)