AIFF Media Team

KOLKATA: Gokulam Kerala will be out for revenge in match round 3 of the Hero I-League as they take on Real Kashmir FC. The Malabarians were defeated in the semi-finals of the IFA Shield by reigning champions Real Kashmir FC. The match is set ti take place at the Kalyani Stadium on Monday, March 6th at 4:30 PM (IST).
The Malabarians drew their previous match against NEROCA FC and will be looking to improve their performance in the upcoming match. Reflecting on their performance, coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese said, “We need to create more space in the build-up and more opportunities in attack. We have concentrated on quality passing in the previous two days, and the team needs to understand to get more possession to create more chances and get control in the game.”

The defending champions have scored just one goal in the two matches and believe that they will be getting better game by game with the quality of players they possess within their squad. Vincenzo added, “We are not worried about the lack of goals because we have a quality striker like Luka (Majcen) but have to create chances for him, which we have not done in the previous matches.”

Gokulam Kerala signed Slovenian striker Luka Majcen for the upcoming season and the AFC cup. Luka last season represented Churchill Brothers in the Hero I-League, for whom he scored 11 goals and had two assists. On his debut for the Malabarians and playing with Jourdaine Fletcher, Luka stated, “I would have loved to win on my debut but having a scoreline of 0-0 is better than a lost game. I like Fletcher’s style, and we have connected well. He likes to dribble more and attack space, and I like to come in the middle and keep the ball, so I think we complement each other well.”

The Snow Leopards, on the other hand, were pleased with their performance against Kenkre FC, as coach David Robertson explained: “In the first half, it took a little while for the team to get going due to quarantine and lack of training, but in the second half we were very good and deserved to win, but unfortunately we couldn’t get our second goal, but the performance was excellent.”

Real Kashmir has a good record against Gokulam Kerala, having won two and lost none of their previous five games. With a new challenge lying ahead, Robertson said, “Yeah, we have got a decent record against Gokulam over the years, but in this league, anybody can beat anyone on the day. We need to be prepared in this league. The match tomorrow is very crucial, however, we have got a very good record against them, and we have a good chance.”