Gokulam Kerala had to be content with just a point from its first home match of the Indian Football League after it was held to a 1-1 draw by Namdhari FC at the Payyanad Stadium here on Saturday.
The host took the lead, through Thabiso Brown’s goal in the opening half. Seilenthang Lotjem then brought the Punjab team back into the match with his goal in the second half.
Gokulam went in front thanks to some fine work by Brown. He was smart enough to move the net with the second opportunity he got following an excellent back-heel pass from Francisco Borges. A nice piece of defending by Namdhari’s Lamine Moro, from just inside the box, had prevented Brown from striking in the first instance, but the latter recovered quick enough to break the deadlock.
Namdhari’s attempts to find the equaliser finally succeeded late into the second half. A superb square pass from inside the box by Abdoulaye Diallo was converted neatly by Seilenthang Lotjem.
For both teams, this was their second draw in as many matches.
Lalruatsanga’s stoppage-time strike gives Chanmari FC three points against Sreenidi
Lalruatsanga’s dramatic stoppage-time strike proved decisive as Chanmari FC edged past Sreenidi Deccan FC 2-1 in the Indian Football League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl.
The result handed the newly promoted Chanmari FC its first win of the season, taking it provisionally to second in the points table with four points. Sreenidi Deccan is third with three points.
Chanmari FC head coach Victor Lalbiakmawia made a single alteration to his starting line-up, bringing in Brazilian forward Joao Vitor De Paula Morais (Jota) to lead the attack ahead of Aron Vanlalrinchhana. Sreenidi Deccan head coach Carlos Manuel Vaz Pinto also made one forced change to his starting eleven, handing Aryan Niraj Lamba the start in goal in place of the injured Bhaskar Roy.
The match moved at a slow pace in the opening 15 minutes, with both sides focusing on possession and reluctant to attack. As the half progressed, Sreenidi Deccan began to dictate play and dominated proceedings. The visitor created a couple of clear one-on-one opportunities to break the deadlock, but Hardik Bhatt and Fabrice Kah squandered their chances, ensuring the scoreline remained goalless at the interval.
The host finally broke the deadlock at the hour mark against the run of play. Capitalising on a defensive lapse from Sreenidi, Suanngaihmuana provided a smart assist for Jota, who produced a superb finish that left the goalkeeper with no chance and handed Chanmari a 1-0 lead.
Sreenidi Deccan responded with attacking intent and found the equaliser in the 80th minute. Substitute Paulo Cezar Pereira Dos Santos made an immediate impact off the bench, heading in from a precise Hardik Bhatt cross to restore parity and set up a tense finish.
With five minutes of added time announced, the game seemed destined for a 1-1 draw. However, Chanmari FC had other ideas. In the 93rd minute (90+3), substitute Lalruatsanga latched onto a sharp assist from Jota and produced a clinical finish to seal a 2-1 victory for the Aizawl-based side.
Match results:
Gokulam Kerala 1 (Thabiso Brown 32) drew with Namdhari FC 1 (Seilenthang Lotjem 74).
Chanmari FC 2 (Joao Morais 60, Lalruatsanga 90+3) beat Sreenidi Deccan FC 1 (Paulo Cezar Pereira Dos Santos 80).
Published on Mar 07, 2026
