Gokulam Kerala rope in Mingo Oramas as head coach for I-League

Oramas replaces Francesc Bonet, who leaves the club after a dismal end to the season.

Gokulam Kerala have secured the services of Spanish coach Mingo Oramas for the I-League. The 49-year-old was last in-charge of UD San Fernando, a Spanish football team based in the Canary Islands. The current Tercera Division final winners will ply their trade in the Segunda Division RFEF-Group 4.

Oramas replaces fellow Spaniard Francesc Bonet at the helm, who took over from Richard Towa in late December. Cameroonian Towa was in-charge for only nine games and stepped down from his role due to insipid form.

About the coach

Mingo Oramas began his managerial career with Las Palmas Atletico U-19, moving on to the senior team in the 2015-16 Tercera Division, guiding them to the playoffs. He then shifted base to Mensajero and oversaw a drop from the Segunda (Second) B division to the Tercera (Third) Division after a dismal season yielded only 18 points from 12 matches.

Oramas then had a solid couple of seasons with Mensajero in the Tercera Division. He was appointed as a scout for Ecuador club Independiente del Valle, before returning to Spain with UD San Fernando.

The man from Las Palmas prefers a 4-4-2 but lately has experimented with a 5-3-2 to good effect. He will take some time to get used to the I-League's rigorous demands, but will use his scouting knowledge and watchful eyes to get the best out of the players and look for bright talents.

Gokulam Kerala's season

The Malabarians began their season with a positive 4-2 win against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the AFC Cup group stages, but crashed out after defeats to Maziya and Bashundhara Kings. Richard Towa, a former Cameroon international, was roped in as head coach to replace the highly successful Vincenzo Alberto Annese. Towa's tenure began in lukewarm fashion and he soon stepped down. Francesc Bonet led the team to a third-place finish in the I-League.

With ISL promotion on the line for the I-League winners, Gokulam came up short despite having momentum heading into the season. RoundGlass Punjab edged out Sreenidi Deccan to secure promotion. The 2023 Hero Super Cup took place at Gokulam's home ground Manjeri and being in a strong Group C with three ISL teams was too much to handle with no points to show.

With AFC Cup football on the line, Gokulam came up short against Odisha FC in the qualifier. There was reason to celebrate however, as the women's team made it a hat-trick of IWL victories, and continue to carry forward the club's rich legacy.

The club will have to shift base for the upcoming season, as the Kozhikode Corporation opted not to renew the contract of Gokulam Kerala to play home matches in the EMS Corporation Stadium.