Manjeri (Kerala), March 7 Gokulam Kerala FC and Namdhari Sports Academy played out a 1-1 draw in the Indian Football League (IFL) 2025-26 at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri, Kerala, on Saturday.
Thabiso Nelson Brown gave the home side the lead in the 33rd minute, which was cancelled out by a 73rd-minute strike by Seilenthang Lotjem, as both teams played out their second consecutive draw this season.
Gokulam Kerala head coach Derick Pereira made two changes to his starting line-up, bringing in Thabiso Nelson Brown and Aman CK in attack in place of Rahul Raju and John Kennedy Xavier Da Costa. Namdhari coach Harpreet Singh also made changes, starting Niraj Kumar in goal ahead of Nishan Singh, while Karan Kumar Sharma played in defence in place of Balkaran Singh.
The hosts dominated the early stages, with Gokulam Kerala completely controlling possession in the opening 20 minutes. Captain Francisco Perdomo Borges had an excellent game in midfield, dictating play for the Malabarians. Namdhari, on the other hand, were solid defensively but struggled to convert their chances in the final third.
Gokulam's sustained pressure finally paid off in the 33rd minute. Borges provided a brilliant assist for Brown, who produced a stunning finish to give the hosts a well-deserved lead.
Conceding the goal spurred Namdhari into action, who intensified their efforts in the final minutes of the first half, but went into the break trailing.
After the interval, the tables turned as Namdhari started to effectively utilise their wingers to stretch the home defence. Harpreet Singh introduced Senegalese forward Abdoulaye Diallo into the attack to inject more urgency into the attack.
The visitors' persistence was rewarded in the 73rd minute. Diallo provided a crucial assist for Seilenthang Lotjem, who calmly slotted the ball home to restore parity at 1-1.
Searching for a late winner, Derick Pereira made a substitution in the 85th minute, bringing in Rishad in place of Mirjalol Kasimov. With six minutes of extra time added on, both teams piled relentless pressure on each other's penalty areas. However, despite the frantic end-to-end action, neither side could find the decisive goal, as the match ended in a draw.
