Safneed lone new face in Kerala team for Santosh Trophy’s final phase

The Kerala team for the Santosh Trophy’s final phase, which was introduced in Kochi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Stan Rayan

Real Malabar FC’s 25-year-old midfielder P.P. Mohammed Safneed, who led Calicut University to the National inter-university title two years in the past, is the lone new face in the Kerala soccer team for the Santosh Trophy’s final phase which begins in Arunachal Pradesh on February 21.

The Kerala Football Association has made three adjustments to the team, which performed in the National championship’s preliminary phase in Goa in October. Navas Meeran, the KFA president, introduced the team right here on Wednesday night.

“We needed to pass over Bijesh Balan and Ok. Junain who’re injured and have introduced in Akhil J. Chandran, Gifty Gracious and Safneed,” mentioned Satheevan Balan, the chief coach, who guided Kerala to the Santosh Trophy title in 2018.

The coach was eager on selecting Sports Academy Tirur’s Muhammed Mahdi, who was adjudged the most effective participant in the latest Kerala Premier League. But the midfielder had suffered an damage in the final and needed to be dominated out.

“He would have been in the enjoying 11,” mentioned Balan.

Balan feels Kerala, which is in Group ‘A’ with host Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, Assam and Services, is in a tricky pool.

“We are in a robust group. Since it’s the host, Arunachal can have a robust team… they could even deliver gamers from exterior. Services is powerful too… and as Meghalaya and Assam can be enjoying in nearly dwelling situations, they are going to be robust too,” the chief coach advised The Hindu.

“But the benefit is, 4 groups every from the 2 teams qualify for the following stage (quarterfinals) so we have now to win not less than two matches. It can be okay if we get a draw in opposition to some others.”

Kerala opens its marketing campaign in opposition to Assam on February 21 and matches can be performed on artificial turf.

The squad: Goalkeepers: Ok. Muhammed Azhar (Mlp, Kerala Police), Sidharth Rajeevan Nair (Koz, Kerala United), P.P. Muhammed Nishad (Mlp, East Bengal FC).

Defenders: Belgin Bolster (Tvm, KSEB), G. Sanju (Ekm, Kerala Police, vice-captain), R. Shinu (Tvm, KSEB), Mohammed Salim (Ktm, KSEB), Ok.P. Sarath (Tsr, Sree Kerala Varma College), Nithin Madhu (Ekm, Kerala United), Akhil J. Chandran (Ekm, Gokulam Kerala), V.R. Sujith (Tsr, Sree Kerala Varma College).

Midfielders: V. Arjun (Koz, KSEB), Jithin Gopalakrishnan (Pkd, Black Horse FC), Gifty Gracious (Wyd, KSEB), P.P. Mohammed Safneed (Mlp, Real Malabar), Nijo Gilbert (Tvm, KSEB, captain), Ok. Abdhu Raheem (Idk, Basco), N.P. Akbar Sidhique (Mlp, Wayanad United FC).

Forwards: E. Sajeesh (Pkd, Kerala Police), S. Muhammed Ashiq (Pkd, Gokulam Kerala), B. Naresh Mlp, Muthoot FA), E.Ok. Riswan Ali (Knr, Kerala United).

Officials: Satheevan Balan (chief coach), P.Ok. Assis (assistant coach), Harshal Rahman (goalkeeper coach).