Real Kashmir FC

Real Kashmir FC have a date with history at the TRC Turf in Srinagar on Tuesday, according to AIFF Media Team.

On paper, it’s a Round 15 I-League 2024-25 match between the Snow Leopards and Namdhari FC. But for the hosts, it’s an open challenge to either prove their mettle as serious title contenders or to stay complacent with the status of a good side that always get pipped to the post in the end.

Both teams have a lot at stake. Real Kashmir are well-known for feeling comfortable at home. A victory would give them (currently having 23 points from 14 matches) the second place in the points table (albeit temporarily) behind leaders Churchill Brothers and the option to build on this success in the next six rounds.

It’s true that Real Kashmir are poor travellers. After this round, they will be left with two home matches and one of them would be against Churchill, that too in the final round when the weather in Srinagar could be easier to cope up with for the visitors.

But then, to reach that stage, Real Kashmir will have to solve the Namdhari riddle on Tuesday. The Sri Bhaini Sahib side have surprised everyone this season, perhaps themselves, too. With 25 points from 14 matches, they are currently second in the table and rightly dreaming of standing atop the victory podium at the end of the season.

The reason for Namdhari’s meteoric rise this season is no secret, actually the common cause in the I-League’s snake and ladder game each season. It’s the quality of foreign recruits that makes the difference.

In Namdhari, the burden this time is on Brazilian Cledson da Silva or ‘Degol’. He has already scored nine goals and looks good for many more. He is quick, has the uncanny knack of stationing himself at the right position in the rival box and most, importantly, he is hungry for goals. Given his current form, Real Kashmir have a task in hand.

If the points table is an indication, then it is unlikely to undergo a dramatic change in Round 15. Table toppers Churchill stumbled at home against lowly Delhi FC in the previous round rather unexpectedly. But it would be too much to expect the currently last placed Aizawl FC would be able to treat the Goa side in a similar fashion in Aizawl.

Churchill’s strength also lies in their foreigners. Though to say they live on them would be wrong. They have a few good homegrown footballers, like Stendly Fernandes, but South African Wayde Lekay or Ghanaian Rafiq Aminu are definitely leading from the front.

Inter Kashi will surely pray for Churchill’s failure. The team having the depth and ability to contest for the title will travel to Bengaluru hoping to get full points from SC Bengaluru, who are struggling to stay afloat from the relegation zone.

Inter Kashi’s 0-2 defeat against Dempo was a true shocker, but they recovered well to win handsomely against Aizawl. With players like Finnish Joni Kauko, Serbian Nikola Stojanovic and Spanish Domingo Berlanga in their ranks, Inter Kashi have every reason to feel they have the rightful claim at least the second position at the end of Round 15. (ANI)

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Real Kashmir FC picked up their second win in three matches in the I-League 2024-25 when they beat Delhi FC 2-1 at the TRC Football Turf on Wednesday. All the goals came in the second half.

While Bouba Aminou (72′) and Lalramdinsanga Ralte (84′) scored for the hosts, Stephane Samir Binong reduced the margin for Delhi FC a minute before the end of regulation time.

Ishfaq Ahmed-coached Real Kashmir FC, who have so far played all their matches at home, have seven points from three matches, while Delhi FC suffered their second consecutive defeat to remain with the only point they earned from the draw against Namdhari FC.

Off-the-ball incidents generated more excitement in the first half than the actual game. Delhi FC goalkeeper Debnath Mondal was in the news for the wrong reasons.

On one occasion, the lanky goalkeeper left his charge and reached the opposite area to argue with the referee on a free-kick decision and returned to his position with a yellow card. The next time Mondal dangerously left his area in an attempt to foil a rival striker. He got beaten, and only a goalline clearance by a defender saved the moment for the visiting side.

Mondal, however, also had his skills in place when he negotiated well with a couple of long rangers.

The 27-year-old finally ran out of luck in the 72nd minute when Cameroonian Bouba Aminou headed home from close. It was a move that was initiated by Aminou himself from the left, and after a few passes, a long ball travelled from the right at the Delhi FC goalmouth for Aminou, who, by then, had taken his position at the right place to head it in.

The second goal came in the 84th minute. This time, Delhi FC defence was caught napping when a through pass found Lalramdinsanga Ralte in the open. The agile midfielder took the best advantage of it and ran through to beat the goalkeeper.

Some excitement was injected into the game when substitute Cameroonian Stephane Samir Binong pulled one back for Delhi FC. However, instead of a Delhi FC revival, it was Real Kashmir FC, who earned a penalty during the eight-minute add-on time. It was missed by Senegalese recruit Abdou Karim Samb.

Overall, the chances were few and far between for both teams. While Real Kashmir looked more comfortable in the temperature hovering around 9 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, Delhi FC, fresh from their 1-5 drubbing against Inter Kashi, managed to even the exchange rates in midfield.

The Delhi side’s best moment came in the ninth minute when their tall attacker Hridaya Jain spectacularly got past two defenders and passed it at the goalmouth for someone to finish the job. But his teammates were slow to react, and the ball was intercepted.

The home side had a good chance to go up in the 15th minute when Mondal nearly let his team down by coming out of the box and missing the ball completely. Ghanaian Ocran Conney Idan had an open goal in front of him, but his feeble attempt was cleared by a defender from the goal line. (ANI)

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