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With 2-time runners-up medalist and a fan following that makes the world turn their eyes own to the 5-year old league, Kerala Blasters is one of the most loved and followed teams in the Indian Super League.
Hailing from the southern state of Kerala, Blasters, as they are commonly called, is one of the 8 teams who has been part of the ISL from its inception. Runners-up in the first edition followed by a 7th place finish in the second and another runners-up medal in the third before being 6th last season. The Kerala Blasters with all their fans and their huge following are also one of the most inconsistent teams in the league
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With the ISL starting in less than a week let's take a closer look at the team in yellow.
Goalkeepers
Naveen Kumar
Born in Punjab on 9th January 1989, Naveen Kuma came through the famed JCT Academy before joining the Pailan Arrows. The goalkeeper has thus far had a nomadic career joining Mohun Bagan, Salgocar, Churchill Brothers and FC Goal in almost 8 years before finally getting some much needed first appearance with FC Goa last season.
The 29-year old who joined the Kerala Blasters this season has made 7 appearances while keeping a clean sheet for 3 of those in his debut ISL season with FC Goa last year.
Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
Arguably the best player for India in the U-17 World Cup Dheeraj was on the 4th of July 2000 in Manipur and is a product of the AIFF Elite Academy.
The 18-year old was part of the Indian Arrows squad for the I-League last season making 6 appearances for the AIFF backed team before terminating his contract in order to attend the trial with Scottish side Motherwell before eventually signing for the team in yellow this year.
Sujith M S
It's almost been 4 years since the day a tall lanky young local lad from Nilambur kept an all attacking Brazilian side at bay in the U-17 Subroto Cup final in 2014. With more than 10 clear cut chances thwarted that day Sujith M.S, who was quite impressive throughout the whole tournament, was deservedly given the Goalkeeper of the tournament along with high praise from the Brazilian coach.
The local lad was born on the 2nd of November and is a product of the MSP Academy in Malappuram. A regular in the age groups for Kerala, Sujith is still yet to make his debut for Kerala Blasters after signing for the side last year.
Defenders
Cyril Kali
Born on the 21st of January 1984, Cyril Kali came through the famed academies of French clubs Lille and AJ Auxerre before starting his professional career with Lillestrom SK of Norway in 2006.
A versatile defensive player who primarily plays as a centre-back, Kali can play as the left back as well as the defensive midfielder.
A Nomadic Greek league footballer Kali has played for 6 Greek clubs in his 12 years as a professional footballer, Kali will be having his first stint with ISL after signing with the Kerala Blaster this year.
Sandesh Jhingan
The only player still playing in the Kerala Blasters franchise since its inception, Sandesh Jhingan was born on the 21st of July 1993 in Chandigarh and started his youth career in the St Stephan's Academy.
Jhingan started his professional career with United Sikkim spending 2 years with the club before joining Mumbai FC finally joining Kerala Blasters in 2014.
The Indian international 59 appearances to his name for the team in yellow.
Anas Edathodika
Another of the local boys in the squad, Anas Edathodika was born on the 15th of February 1987 in Malappuram. Anas started his professional footballing career with Mumbai FC in 2007 only after a successful trial with the club, being spotted by former Indian International Feroz Sherif during an inter-collegiate match.
Anas spent 4 seasons with the Mumbai club before signing up for rivals Pune FC in 2011. Another 4 seasons soon followed before the defender was on the move again joining ISL side Delhi Dynamos in 2015. 2 years with the Delhi based club ended in 2017 with Anas joining Jamshedpur FC.
The Indian international joins his state-based club Kerala Blasters in 2018 after making a total of 33 appearances in the ISL with 23 of them coming during his time with Delhi Dynamos and the rest with Jamshedpur last season.
Pritam Kumar Singh
Born in Manipur on the 10th of December 1995, Pritam Singh was a part of the AIFF Elite Academy before joining Shillong Lajong in 2015/16. The young defender spent 3 seasons with Meghalaya based club, after turning professional, before joining Kerala Blasters last season.
The young defender has just a single appearance in the ISL so far, coming on as a substitute for Rino Anto in the Match against Mumbai City FC.
Nemanja Lakic-Pesic
Born in Belgrade on the 14th of January 1991, Nemanja Lakic-Pesic started his youth career with Fudbalski club Rad before joining Donji Srem in 2009 spending 5 years with the club before moving to Radnicki Nis in 2015.
After a year with Radnicki Nis, Lakic-Pesic was on the move again joining Austrian club SV Kapfenberg in 2016 before finally joining Kerala Blasters last year.
The Serbian to-date has a total of 12 appearances in the Indian Super League so far.
Lalruatthara
One of the picks from last year edition of the ISL, Lalruathara was born on the 7th of January 1995 in Mizoram and started his youth career with Chandigarh Football Academy before joining Chanmari in 2013.
Aizwal FC was quick to notice the young versatile defender signing the youngster from Chanmari in 2015 after being on the radar since his delightful performances for Manipur in their historical Santhosh Trophy campaign in 2014.
The Indian international was a vital cog for Aizwal FC in their title-winning campaign of 2016/17, ending his connection with the North-east based club to join the Kerala Blasters in 2017.
The 23-year old has so far 17 appearances to his name in the ISL.
Mohammad Rakip
The youngest member in the defensive setup, Rakip was born on the 14th of May 2000 and was part of the historical U-17 World Cup side of India.
A product of the AIFF Elite Academy, Rakip made 6 appearances for the Indian Arrows in the 2016/17 edition of I-League before becoming the first U-17 World Cup member to sign for an ISL side as he joined Kerala Blaster at the end of 2017. The youngster is yet to make an appearance for the yellow tuskers.
Midfielders
Courage Pekuson
Born on the 2nd of January 1995 in Ghana, Courage Pekuson started his youth career with the famed UAE club Al-Nasr before joining Slovenian side FC Koper in 2016, where he made his professional debut.
The Ghanian U-23 international spend a year with the Slovenian side before joining Kerala Blasters last season. Pekuson has made 14 appearances for the Kerala Blasters and has scored a goal for them.
Nikola Krcmarevic
The last foreign recruit to join the team in Yellow, Krcmaevic was born on the 18th of December in 1991 in Belgrade and started his footballing career with Serbian club Cukaricki. After 2 years Krcmarevic was on the move joining Smederevo before returning back to his first club the very next season. The return was short-lived as the midfielder moved to FK Sindelic Beograd the next season before moving onto to Greece to join Zakynthos in 2014.
The nomadic nature continued with the former Serbian U19 and U21 player joining Panegialios, Radnik Surdulica, Panelefsiniakos, Syrianska and Vestur in a span of 4 years before signing up for the team from the South this season.
Deependra Negi
Born on the 20th of November 1998, Deependra Negi is another of the AIFF Elite Academy products in the Kerala Blaster roster. After spending nearly 3 years with the Elite Academy before moving abroad to join CF Reus (Spain) in 2016.
After a year with the Catalonian side, the former India U17 captain joined the team in yellow last year. Negi so far has 2 appearances in the ISL before injury cut short his debut season.
Prasanth K
Another of the local lads in the squad, Prasanth was born on the 24th of July 1997. A product of the AIFF Elite Academy as well as the DSK Shivajians. The young winger started his professional career in 2016 joining his home team.
A year on loan with the I-League side followed the same year with the Keralite making 10 appearances and scoring once for Chennai City in the 2016/17 season.
The former U19 player has so far made 7 appearances for the team in yellow and has one goal to his name.
Saha Abdul Samad
Another local lad hailing from the district of Kannur, Sahal Abdul Samad was born on the 1st of April 1997.
The midfielder, who has no known affiliations with well-known Youth teams in India, was signed up by the Blasters last season. Sahal has so far to his name 2 appearances for the men in Yellow while he had an impressive season with the reserve side of the team last season.
Halicharan Narzary
One of the new Indian recruits in the side, Narzary was born on the 10th of May 1994 and started his footballing with SAI Academy, Assam before being selected in the U16 and eventually into the Pailan Arrows and U19 sides of India.
Narzary spent 3 years with the Arrows before Dempo, after the Pailan Arrows were disbanded in 2013. After 3 years with Dempo, a year with North East United, DSK Shivajians and another stint with North East United followed before joining the Blasters this season.
Halicharan Narzary has 31 appearances in the Indian Super League with 28 of them coming during his time with the North East United, with one of them being a season on loan in 2015, while the rest 3 coming during his time with FC Goa, on loan from Dempo in 2014.
Keziron Kizito
Born in Uganda on the 17th of January 1997, Kizito started his footballing career with Ugandan club Vipers SC. 14 assist in his debut season with the Vipers helped the Ugandan team to the title as well as earning his first call-up to the national side.
After nearly 2 seasons with the Vipers, Kizito joined the AFC Leopards in the much more competitive Kenyan League before jumping ship again in 2017 to join the Kerala Blasters.
Nicknamed "the dude" by the loving fans of Kerala, the young Ghanaian international has so far made 4 appearances for the Blasters after injury cut short his debut season for the team from the southern end of India.
Hrishi Dhath
An unpolished diamond among the Indian stars in the Kerala Blasters roster, Hrishi Dhath is a local lad born in the Thrissur district of Kerala and is a product of the AIFF Elite Academy.
A former U16 Indian international, the teenage midfielder Dhath joined the team in yellow last season. Dhath joins the senior squad after an impressive season with the reserves last season.
Seiminlen Doungel
Born on the 3rd of January 1994, Seiminlen Doungel started his youth career with the famed JCT Academy before turning professional in 2011 with I-League giants East Bengal.
After 3 years with the Kolkata giants, Doungel spend a season with Shillong Lajong before joining Bengaluru FC in 2015. After 2 seasons with Karnataka based side, Doungel was on the move again joining ISL side North East United last year before moving to the Blasters in 2018.
Seiminlen Doungel has so far made 32 appearances and scored 5 goals in the ISL with 25 of them coming with the North East roster while the rest in the Delhi Dynamos jersey.
Suraj Rawat
Another youngster in the Kerala Blasters roster, Rawat was born on the 4th of November 2000 in Sikkim. A product of the Royal Wahingdoh FC, Rawat joined the Kerala Blasters squad last season.
The young Indian U19 International forward moved to the senior squad after impressive performances for the reserves last season.
Loken Meitei
Another product of the Royal Wahingdoh Academy, Loken Meitei was born on the 4th of May 1997 and started his professional career in 2014 with his boyhood club.
A versatile midfielder Meitei joined Kerala Blasters last season after 2 years with Royal Wahingdoh and has so far made 6 appearances for the Kerala based side.
Zakeer Mundampara
Born on the 20th of May 1990 in the Malappuram district of Kerala, Zakeer is a product of the SBT Academy and turned professional with Chirag United in 2009. After a year with the Kerala based side, Zakeer joined Goan giants Churchill Brothers in 2010 spending 2 years with the club before moving onto United SC, Mohun Bagan and Salgaocar in the space of 3 years.
2 Seasons in the ISL soon followed with Chennaiyin FC before jumping clubs again to join Mumbai City FC in 2017 before joining his home state based ISL team this year.
Zakeer Mundampara has so far 18 appearances in the ISL with 8 of them coming in the last season with MCFC.
Forwards
Matej Poplatnik
One of the new foreign recruits in the Blasters roster, Poplatnik was born on the 15th of July 1992 in Slovenia.
The Slovenian started his footballing career with Slovenian side NK Kranj in 2010 before joining NK Triglav Kraj in 2012. After 3 seasons with the club, the versatile forward joined Bulgarian side Montana for a season before moving back to Triglav Kranj in 2016.
After 2 seasons with the club, Poplatnik joined Kerala Blasters this season.
Slavisa Stojanovic
Born on the 27th of January 1989 in Smederevo in Serbia, Stojanovic started his professional career with Serbian side FK Smederevo in 2007, spending 5 seasons with the club before moving on a nomadic journey that saw the forward joining Jagodina, Borac Cacak, Radnik Surdulica, Hapoel Kfar Saba, Hapoel Petah Tikva and finally Radnicki Nis in 2017.
The Serbian forward joined the Kerala Blasters roster this year.
CK Vineeth
The biggest local name among the home side, CK Vineeth was born on 20th of May 1988 in Kannur and started his footballing career with Chirag Kerala United in 2011. After a season with the Kochi based side then young winger joined United SC in 2012 spending 2 seasons with the I-League club.
The winger then moved to Karnataka giants Bengaluru FC in 2015, making a total of 85 appearances and scoring 14 times for the Blues before swapping sides to join his home side Kerala Blasters in 2017.
The Indian International has so far made 32 appearances in the Indian Super League and has scored 9 times.
