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Kerala football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kerala
കേരള
Full nameKerala State Football Team
Founded1948; 78 years ago (1948)
GroundJawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Capacity41,000
OwnerKerala Football Association
Head coachBiby Thomas
LeagueSantosh Trophy
2024–25Runner-up
Current season

The Kerala football team (Malayalam: കേരള കാൽപന്തുകളി ഗണം), formerly known as Travancore-Cochin football team, is an Indian state level semi-professional football team representing Kerala in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy and National Games of India.[1][2]

The team appeared in the Santosh Trophy finals 15 times, and have won the trophy 7 times. Kerala last won the Santhosh Trophy in 2022 by defeating Bengal in the final on 2 May at the Payyanadu Stadium in Malappuram. The Kerala team was captained by Jijo Joseph under head coach Bino George, being unbeaten during the tournament.

Statistics and records

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Season-by-season

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As of 15 February 2024

  Champions    Runners-up    Semifinal

Season Santosh Trophy Qualifiers Top Scorer
Pld W D L GF GA Pos Pld W D L GF GA Player Goals
1959–60 3 0 1 2 1 9 Final round 3 1 2 0 2 1
1963–64 1 0 0 1 0 3 First round
1968–69 1 0 0 1 0 3 First round
1969–70 1 0 0 1 1 7 First round Joseph Raju 1
1973–74[3] 6 5 1 0 18 8 Champions TKS Mani 7
1981–82 N/a N/a N/a 2 N/a N/a Semifinal Appukuttan 9
1983–84 N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Semifinal Ranjith 6
1984–85 2 1 1 0 5 0 Preliminary league 5 players 1
1985–86 4 2 0 2 6 3 Semifinal
1986–87 3 1 2 0 3 2 Semifinal
1987–88 6 4 2 0 10 1 Runners Up C. V. Pappachan 5
1988–89[4] N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Runners up N/a N/a
1989–90 6 3 1 2 11 9 Runners Up I. M. Vijayan, Santosh 3
1990–91[5] N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Runners Up N/a N/a
1991–92 4 3 0 1 12 0 Champions PS Asheem, Harshan, Rajeev 3
1992–93 6 4 0 1 8 3 Champions I. M. Vijayan 3
1993–94 2 1 0 1 6 1 Runners Up Jo Paul Ancheri 3
1994–95 N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Semifinal
1995–96 N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a N/a Semifinal
1996–97 4 2 1 1 6 1 Semifinal VP Shaji 3
1997–98 3 0 2 1 0 3 Group Stage N/a N/a
1998–99 1 0 0 1 1 3 Semifinal 2 2 0 0 5 1 Asif Saheer 3
1999–00 5 3 1 1 10 5 Runners up Asif Saheer 4
2001–02 4 4 0 0 16 8 Champions Abdul Hakim 7
2002–03 4 3 0 1 10 7 Runners Up Sylvester Ignatius 3
2004–05 4 3 1 0 9 4 Champions Abdul Naushad 2
2005–06 3 2 0 1 4 1 Semifinal Abdul Hakkim 2
2006–07 4 2 2 0 5 1 Semifinal Pradeep 3
2007–08 3 1 2 0 3 9 Group Stage Asif Saheer
Abdul Naushad
Javed OK
1
2008–09 1 0 0 1 0 1 Pre Quarter 2 2 0 0 8 0 Zubair KP 3
2009–10 1 0 0 1 0 1 Pre Quarter 3 3 0 0 18 3 Javed OK 4
2010–11 1 0 1 0 0 0 Pre Quarter 3 2 1 0 8 1 NA NA
2011–12 5 3 2 0 8 4 Semifinal Kannan 2
2012–13 5 3 2 0 8 4 Runners Up Kannan 4
2013–14 4 2 0 2 6 4 Group Stage 4 3 0 1 23 4 NA NA
2014–15 5 3 1 1 4 4 Semifinal 2 2 0 0 10 0 V P Suhair 3
2015–16 did not qualify 2 1 1 0 3 1 Firos
Seesan
Askhar
1
2016–17 5 2 1 2 11 9 Semifinal 3 2 1 0 6 2 Jobby Justin 5
2017–18 6 5 1 0 18 3 Champions 2 1 1 0 7 0 Rahul KP
Afdal VK
Jithin MS
5
2018–19 did not qualify 3 0 2 1 0 1
2019–20 Not held due to covid 2 2 0 0 11 0 Emil Benny 3
2021–22 6 4 2 0 19 7 Champions 3 3 0 0 18 1 Jesin TK 12
2022–23 5 2 2 1 9 8 Final Round 5 5 0 0 24 2 Nijo Gilbert 8
2023–24 6 2 3 1 7 5 Quarter Finalist 4 3 0 1 12 2 Nijo Gilbert

Players

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Current squad

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As of 14 January 2026:[6]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Alkesh Raj All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
1GK Hajmal Sakeer All India Football Federation Calicut
1GK Muhammed Jaseem All India Football Federation

2DF Sanju Ganesh All India Football Federation Malappuram
2DF Ajay Alex All India Football Federation Calicut
2DF Manoj M (1996-08-21) 21 August 1996 (age 29) All India Football Federation Calicut
2DF Bibin Ajayan All India Football Federation Thrissur Magic
2DF Abdul Badish All India Football Federation Thiruvananthapuram Kombans
2DF Sandeep S All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
2DF Tejas Krishna All India Football Federation Thrissur Magic

3MF Asif OM All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
3MF Arjun V (1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 26) All India Football Federation Calicut
3MF Arjun MM All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
3MF Viknesh Mariya All India Football Federation Thiruvananthapuram Kombans
3MF Aboobacker Dilshad All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors

4FW Muhammed Riyas All India Football Federation Calicut
4FW Sajeesh E (1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 29) All India Football Federation Forca Kochi
4FW Muhammad Ajsal (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 22) All India Football Federation Calicut
4FW Shijin Thadhayouse (1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 29) All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
4FW Muhammed Ashar All India Football Federation Thiruvananthapuram Kombans
4FW Muhammed Sinan All India Football Federation Kannur Warriors
4FW Muhammed Ashique All India Football Federation Calicut

Current technical staff

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Kerala Football Team
Team players on the ground

As of 14 January 2026

Position Name
Head coach India Shafeeq Hassan[7]
Assistant coach India Ebin Rose
Goalkeeping coach India Thomas Chacko
Physio India Ahmed Nihal Rasheed
Manager India Shaji PK
Analyst India Kiran K Narayanan

Results and fixtures

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11 October 2023 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Gujarat 0–3 Kerala Benaulim
09:00
  • Akbar 12', 33'
  • Nijo Gilbert 36'
Stadium: SAG Benaulim Ground
13 October 2023 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Kerala 6–1 Jammu and Kashmir Benaulim
09:00
  • Jithin 8', 54'
  • Sajeesh 13'
  • Ashiq 45+1'
  • Abdhu Raheem 66'
  • Riswan Ali 75'
Stadium: SAG Benaulim Ground
15 October 2023 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Chhattisgarh 0–3 Kerala Benaulim
09:00
  • Sajeesh 6'
  • Junain 56'
  • Nijo Gilbert 68'
Stadium: SAG Benaulim Ground
17 October 2023 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Kerala 0–1 Goa Benaulim
16:00 Stadium: SAG Benaulim Ground
21 February 2024 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Assam 1–3 Kerala Yupia
14:30 Dipu Mirdha 77' Report Abdu Raheem K 19'

Sajeesh E 67'

Nijo Gilbert 90+5'
Stadium: Golden Jubilee Stadium
23 February 2024 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Goa 2–0 Kerala Yupia
19:00 Stadium: Golden Jubilee Stadium
25 February 2024 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Kerala 1–1 Meghalaya Yupia
14:30 Stadium: Golden Jubilee Stadium
28 February 2024 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Kerala 2–0 Arunachal Pradesh Yupia
14:30 Stadium: Golden Jubilee Stadium
01 March 2024 2023–24 Santosh Trophy Services 1–1 Kerala Yupia
10:00 Stadium: Golden Jubilee Stadium
20 November 2024 Santosh Trophy Qualification Kerala 1–0 Railways Kozhikode
TBD Stadium: EMS Stadium
22 November 2024 Santosh Trophy Qualification Kerala 10–0 Lakshadweep Kozhikode
TBD Stadium: EMS Stadium
24 November 2024 Santosh Trophy Qualification Kerala 7–0 Pondicherry Kozhikode
TBD Stadium: EMS Stadium

Honours

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Santosh Trophy winning Kerala team with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, November 2, 2004.
Players of Kerala football team a Santosh Trophy match in Payynad Stadium in 2022

State (senior)

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State (youth)

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Others

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References

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  1. ^ "Kerala Football Association".
  2. ^ "West Bengal, Kerala & Punjab drawn together in tantalizing group in 75th edition of Hero Santosh Trophy". the-aiff.com. All India Football Federation. 6 January 2022. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  3. ^ "India - List of Santosh Trophy Finals". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "23rd Santosh Trophy". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  5. ^ "India - List of Santosh Trophy Finals". Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Sanju G to lead Kerala in Santosh Trophy".
  7. ^ "Kerala eyes Santosh Trophy glory under Shafeeq". Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  8. ^ Bobrowsky, Josef; King, Ian (6 December 2006). "India 1993 – Santosh Trophy". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  9. ^ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "2001/02 Season in Indian Football". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  10. ^ "National Games: W Bengal hammer Kerala 5–0 to clinch gold in men's football". wap.business-standard.com. Ahmedabad: Business Standard India. IANS. 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  11. ^ Sarangi, Y. B. (11 October 2022). "National Games: West Bengal routs Kerala 5–0, wins men's football gold medal after 11 years". sportstar.thehindu.com. Ahmedabad: Sportstar. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.