Som Kumar extends stay with Slovenian club ND Slovan

Som Kumar holds an Indian passport and is eligible to play for the Blue Tigers

While there has been a lot of excitement and buzz among Indian football fans regarding the prospect of OCI/PIO players potentially getting the opportunity to represent the Blue Tigers in the near future, there are still a few talented Indian players who have taken the bold step of moving abroad and testing themselves in the lower divisions of Europe.

The recent Indian U-20 National Team call-up also featured Indians playing abroad, Yohaan Benjamin, who was playing in Slovenia for NK Bravo.

One such player who is plying his trade outside India and continues to progress is former Kerala Blasters FC goalkeeper Som Kumar, who is currently playing in the Slovenian second division.

The goalkeeper, who spent much of his youth career developing in Slovenia, returned to India for a short spell in the ISL with Kerala Blasters FC. However, he returned to Slovenia less than a year later. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, he signed for ND Slovan, a Slovenian second-tier club.

Following his impressive performances last season, he has extended his stay in the country for one more season by signing a contract extension with the club.

ND Slovan hand Som Kumar one-year extension

While much of Som Kumar’s time in Slovenia had been spent with youth teams and playing in the NextGen Liga, ND Slovan made a bold move ahead of the start of last season by signing Som Kumar on a half-season loan deal in September 2025 and giving him an opportunity to compete at first-team level.

Later, in February 2026, the club signed him permanently from NK Radomlje.

Som started the season as the second-choice goalkeeper but eventually worked hard to earn the starting spot and featured in 13 of the final 14 games towards the end of the season.

His impressive performances during that run helped the club secure a few vital wins and finish in the lower mid-table.

Across his 13 appearances, Som conceded 25 goals, averaging around two goals per game, something that is common for a lower mid-table club. He managed to keep two clean sheets in two crucial 1-0 victories, earning his side six vital points while also making numerous important saves in other games.

Those impressive performances have now earned him a one-year extension, and he is expected to start the upcoming season as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.

Som Kumar’s career so far

Born in Karnataka, India, Som Kumar spent most of his youth career in Slovenia, with brief stints in the U-13 teams of Bengaluru FC and Boca Juniors. His first club in Slovenia was NK Bravo, where he signed as a 15-year-old goalkeeper, making the bold decision to leave India and test himself abroad.

Over the next three to four years, he played for the youth teams of NK Bravo and NK Krka, switching between the U-17 and U-19 sides on loan before making a permanent move to NK Olimpija U19 ahead of the 2023-24 season. That season, he featured 13 times in the NextGen Liga, conceding just 13 goals and keeping six clean sheets.

His impressive performances earned him a move back to India, signing for ISL club Kerala Blasters FC ahead of the 2024-25 season.

He featured eight times for the Blasters across the ISL and Durand Cup, keeping two clean sheets. However, a couple of individual mistakes pushed him down the pecking order behind Sachin and Nora Fernandes.

As a result, in February 2025, Som returned to Slovenia and signed for first-tier club NK Radomlje. However, due to a lack of opportunities, he moved to the second tier ahead of the 2025-26 season, signing for ND Slovan, initially on loan before making the move permanent during the winter transfer window.

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