Gokulam Kerala to take on unbeaten Real Kashmir in I-League

The Malabarians are currently at fourth place on the points table.

After recording a 4-1 win over NEROCA in their last match, fourth-placed Gokulam Kerala FC will aim to continue their winning streak in the I-League when they cross swords against Real Kashmir FC at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium in Kalyani, West Bengal on Saturday, January 30, 2021. The match is slated for a 7 PM IST kick-off and will be telecast live on 1Sports, whilst being streamed on their Facebook page.

Vincenzo Annese’s team produced a clinical performance against NEROCA to go fourth on the Hero I-League table, just four points adrift of league leaders Churchill Brothers. A win next could lead the Malabarias even closer to the top of the table. Speaking at the official pre-match press conference, the Italian coach said, “We have improved a lot over the course of the season but now we have a litmus test in Real Kashmir FC. The match against them will be a tough challenge and it would also tell a lot about us as a team.”

“It is tough to score a lot of goals in India and although we played well against NEROCA, we can still improve our attacking phase. We have a lot of potentials and I want to harness it to its fullest,” he said.

“We have to be more aggressive to score. We are creating a lot of chances and we want to capitalise on each and every one of them. Against (Real) Kashmir, we will have to be clinical in front of goal, as they play a lot of direct football,” he added.

Gokulam Kerala midfielder Mayakannan said, “We have got ourselves to a good position in the table and now we want to go higher up. We have the ability and potential to do that, however against Real Kashmir FC, who are title contenders, it will be a very tough challenge. We are ready and want to aim for a win.”

It won’t be a cakewalk for Gokulam as Real Kashmir has plans of its own. The Snow Leopards are fifth on the table with a match in hand. A win could propel them higher up the table. And after being held to a 1-1 draw against Sudeva Delhi FC in their last match, David Robertson’s side would be looking to get back to winning ways.

Speaking at the official pre-match virtual meet, Robertson said, “We could have had a lot more points but we are happy with where we are as we still have a game in hand. It is a long way to go till the end of the season but we are ready and looking forward.

“Against Sudeva Delhi FC we did enough to win the game, and against Gokulam Kerala we will have to focus and be on our toes. They are a strong opponent and they will test us to our limits,” he added. “In this league, anyone can beat anyone on their day and we have to make sure that we do not drop points.”

Defender Mason Robertson, who has found the net twice for Real Kashmir, said, “We hope to do well tomorrow and continue our momentum. I want to help the team as much as I can, and if that means that I score to help the team win, then that’s okay for me.”