Thiruvananthapuram Kombans stage dramatic comeback to beat Malappuram FC on penalties
Thiruvananthapuram Kombans are unbeaten against Malappuram FC
Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC pulled off an extraordinary comeback to defeat Malappuram FC 4–2 on penalties following a thrilling 2–2 draw in the Super League Kerala (SLK) at the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, on the 11th October 2026 as part of the final game of Round 3 fixtures of the Super League Kerala 2026.
Trailing 2–0 until the 90th minute, Kombans struck twice in stoppage time to force a penalty shootout, where goalkeeper Satyajit emerged as the hero by saving two spot-kicks to secure a memorable victory for the home side.
With this result & after three rounds of fixtures, Thiruvananthapuram Kombans move up to fourth place in the standings with four points and a goal difference of -2 , while Malappuram FC sit fifth with two points with a goal difference of -1.
Malappuram break the deadlock
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Malappuram FC signalled their intent early in the 7th minute when midfielder Prasad controlled a pass from Lforzi and unleashed a curling effort, though his strike cleared the crossbar. The breakthrough arrived spectacularly in the 14th minute. Eflorsy delivered a precise through-ball from deep inside his own half, finding captain Amadou Soukouna.
The French forward displayed supreme athleticism, controlling the ball before executing an acrobatic bicycle kick past the Kombans goalkeeper to make it 1–0, scoring a potential goal of the season. Malappuram continued to press, and Soukouna came close to doubling the lead in the 35th minute off a setup from Prasad, but his low attempt was thwarted by Satyajit.
Shortly after, Thiruvananthapuram had a chance of their own when Arjun’s long-range thunderbolt rattled the Malappuram crossbar. Malappuram went into the half-time break holding a 1–0 advantage.
High drama in stoppage time
Malappuram made an early tactical change in the second half, introducing Rashid into the attack. They nearly expanded their lead to 2 in the 49th minute when Soukouna set up Daniel Lallawmpuia. But it was Stephen Acquah, who produced a vital goal-line clearance to keep Thiruvananthapuram alive in the contest.
Thiruvananthapuram brought on Sravan and Portuguese forward João Paredes to inject urgency into their frontline, but Malappuram struck again. Subbed-in Muhammed Riswan finished neatly off a pass from Rashid to put Malappuram 2–0 ahead and seemingly in complete control in the 64th minute of the match.
However, the late game narrative took an incredible twist in stoppage time. Thiruvananthapuram Kombans mounted a ferocious late charge, scoring back-to-back goals through Joseph Gordon and Tadayu Emos to equalize 2–2 in the 90+1 & the 90+7th minute of the game.
The two goals scored just before the final whistle, sent the spectators into a frenzy, as the match would then head to penalties.
Satyajit shines in the shootout
With the match tied at full-time, the contest proceeded directly to a penalty shootout. Kombans goalkeeper Satyajit proved to be the decisive factor, saving penalties from Malappuram’s Abdul Samad and Daniel Lalhlimpuia to seal a dramatic 4–2 victory on spot-kicks for the Thiruvananthapuram Kombans.
The win sends them to 4th in the table, while Malappuram find themselves close behind in 5th.
What position are Thiruvananthapuram Kombans in the SLK 2026-27 points table?
The Thiruvananthapuram Kombans currently sit in 4th 4 points and a goal difference of -2. The team are yet to win any matches within the 90 minutes of the game, and have had both of their victories from penalty shoot-outs.
When will Thiruvananthapuram Kombans play their next SLK match?
The Thiruvananthapuram Kombans will play their next SLK match on the 16th of October 2026. The match will be against Forca Kochi, away from home, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.
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