The striker has been in prolific form in this edition of the Santosh Trophy. He also got on the scoresheet in the semifinal which will be an added morale booster for the holding midfielder. He is adept at breaking down attacks of the opposition and also possesses the passing ability to initiate quick counters. He has played for Gokulam Kerala in I-League and knows what it takes to play at the top level. The midfielder is one of the most experienced heads in this Kerala side. He will be a key player for Kerala in the final. Against Punjab, he was the difference-maker once again as he scored both the equaliser and the winner. He not only scores but can also set up his teammates as it was his assist against Bengal that broke the deadlock in the dying minutes of the game. He has been the livewire for Kerala on the left and has also scored a hat-trick against Rajashthan in the group stages. Jijo Joseph has been in excellent form right from the beginning of the tournament. With his five strikes, he beat the record of most goals in a match for Kerala which was set by Asif Saheer in 1999 when he scored four against Nagaland. His understanding with Noufal and Jijo Joseph has been outstanding and Bengal defenders will have their hands full to keep a check on him. He took just 13 minutes to score his hat-trick which showed his clinical ability in front of goal. The forward has become the blue-eyed boy of the Kerala fans after he scored five goals after coming on as a substitute in the semifinals against Karnataka. Good morning □ #SantoshTrophy /kpqhShchp5- Kerala Football Association ApJesin Thonikkara Moreover, they must not have forgotten the 2017 final loss to Kerala at the Salt Lake Stadium, when they were defeated in the tiebreakers. ![]() An experienced candidate like Manotosh Chakladar and in-form forward Fardin Ali Molla will be key to their chances of lifting their 33rd Santosh Trophy. ![]() Jesin Thonikkara, who grabbed headlines for scoring five goals in the semifinal against Karnataka, had also found the net in injury time.Īlthough Ranjan Bhattacharjee's men recovered quickly after that loss and went on to win all the matches thereafter, they know pretty well that they have a tough task at hand. In the final 30 minutes of that match, Bengal keeper Priyant Singh faced a barrage of shots and was finally beaten in the 84th minute by Noufal. They had already beaten Bengal 2-0 in the group stages and this will be a major morale booster for Bino George's men. The eastern state might be the most successful team in the history of the Santosh Trophy with 32 titles but this Kerala side will be a difficult customer to deal with.
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