# Kerala football team

The Kerala football team (Malayalam: കേരള കാൽപന്തുകളി ഗണം), formerly known as Travancore-Cochin football team, is an Indian state level semi-professional football team representing Kerala in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy and National Games of India.

## History

The team appeared in the Santosh Trophy finals 15 times, and have won the trophy 7 times. Kerala last won the Santhosh Trophy in 2022 by defeating Bengal in the final on 2 May at the Payyanadu Stadium in Malappuram. The Kerala team was captained by Jijo Joseph under head coach Bino George, being unbeaten during the tournament.

## Players
### Current squad

As of 14 February 2024:
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1GK | Muhammed Azhar | | Kerala Police FC |
| 1GK | Hajmal Sakeer | | Forca Kochi |
| 1GK | Muhammed Niyas | (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 25) | Calicut |
| 2DF | Sanju Ganesh | | Kerala Police FC |
| 2DF | Muhammed Riyas | | Calicut |
| 2DF | Manoj M | (1996-08-21) 21 August 1996 (age 28) | Calicut |
| 2DF | Muhammed Aslam | | |
| 2DF | Adil Amal | (2002-01-31) 31 January 2002 (age 23) | East Bengal B |
| 2DF | Joseph Justine | | East Bengal B |
| 3MF | Nijo Gilbert | (1999-10-16) 16 October 1999 (age 25) | Forca Kochi |
| 3MF | Arjun V | (1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 25) | Calicut |
| 3MF | Christy Davis | (2000-10-20) 20 October 2000 (age 24) | Gokulam Kerala B |
| 3MF | Muhammed Arshaf | (2006-01-01) 1 January 2006 (age 19) | Calicut |
| 3MF | Salman Kalliyath | (1995-11-15) 15 November 1995 (age 29) | Diamond Harbour FC |
| 3MF | Mohammed Rishad Gafoor | (2007-06-27) 27 June 2007 (age 17) | Kannur Warriors |
| 3MF | Muhammed Roshal | (2003-03-08) 8 March 2003 (age 22) | East Bengal B |
| 3MF | Muhammed Mushraf | (2000-05-09) 9 May 2000 (age 24) | East Bengal B |
| 4FW | Gani Nigam | (1998-05-01) 1 May 1998 (age 26) | Calicut |
| 4FW | Sajeesh E | (1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 28) | Kerala Police FC |
| 4FW | Muhammad Ajsal | (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 21) | Gokulam Kerala |
| 4FW | Shijin Thadhayouse | (1996-12-19) 19 December 1996 (age 28) | Gokulam Kerala |

## Current technical staff

As of 14 February 2024
| Position | Name |
| Head coach | Biby Thomas |
| Assistant coach | Harry Benny |
| Goalkeeping coach | Nelson MV |
| Physio | Rodregues Nellissery |
| Manager | DR Sudhir Kumar |

## Statistics and records
### Season-by-season

    As of 15 February 2024
Champions Runners-up Semifinal
| Season | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Santosh Trophy | Qualifiers | Qualifiers | Qualifiers | Qualifiers | Qualifiers | Qualifiers | Top Scorer | Top Scorer |
| Season | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Player | Goals |
| 1963–64 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | First round | | | | | | |
| 1968–69 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | First round | | | | | | |
| 1969–70 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | First round | | | | | | | Joseph Raju | 1 |
| 1973–74 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 8 | Champions | | | | | | | TKS Mani | 7 |
| 1981–82 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | Semifinal | | | | | | | Appukuttan | 9 |
| 1983–84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Semifinal | | | | | | | Ranjith | 6 |
| 1984–85 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | Preliminary league | | | | | | | 5 players | 1 |
| 1985–86 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | Semifinal | | | | | | | | |
| 1986–87 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | Semifinal | | | | | | | | |
| 1987–88 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | Runners Up | | | | | | | C. V. Pappachan | 5 |
| 1988–89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Runners up | | | | | | | — | — |
| 1989–90 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | Runners Up | | | | | | | I. M. Vijayan, Santosh | 3 |
| 1990–91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Runners Up | | | | | | | — | — |
| 1991–92 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | Champions | | | | | | | PS Asheem, Harshan, Rajeev | 3 |
| 1992–93 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | Champions | | | | | | | I. M. Vijayan | 3 |
| 1993–94 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | Runners Up | | | | | | | Jo Paul Ancheri | 3 |
| 1994–95 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Semifinal | | | | | | | | |
| 1995–96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Semifinal | | | | | | | | |
| 1996–97 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | Semifinal | | | | | | | VP Shaji | 3 |
| 1997–98 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | Group Stage | | | | | | | — | — |
| 1998–99 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Semifinal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Asif Saheer | 3 |
| 1999–00 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | Runners up | | | | | | | Asif Saheer | 4 |
| 2001–02 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | Champions | | | | | | | Abdul Hakim | 7 |
| 2002–03 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | Runners Up | | | | | | | Sylvester Ignatius | 3 |
| 2004–05 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | Champions | | | | | | | Abdul Naushad | 2 |
| 2005–06 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | Semifinal | | | | | | | Abdul Hakkim | 2 |
| 2006–07 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Semifinal | | | | | | | Pradeep | 3 |
| 2007–08 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 9 | Group Stage | | | | | | | Asif Saheer Abdul Naushad Javed OK | 1 |
| 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Pre Quarter | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | Zubair KP | 3 |
| 2009–10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Pre Quarter | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | Javed OK | 4 |
| 2010–11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Pre Quarter | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | NA | NA |
| 2011–12 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | Semifinal | | | | | | | Kannan | 2 |
| 2012–13 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | Runners Up | | | | | | | Kannan | 4 |
| 2013–14 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Group Stage | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 4 | NA | NA |
| 2014–15 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Semifinal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | V P Suhair | 3 |
| 2015–16 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | Firos Seesan Askhar | 1 |
| 2016–17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | Semifinal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | Jobby Justin | 5 |
| 2017–18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | Champions | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | Rahul KP Afdal VK Jithin MS | 5 |
| 2018–19 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | |
| 2019–20 | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | Not held due to covid | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | Emil Benny | 3 |
| 2021–22 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 7 | Champions | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | Jesin TK | 12 |
| 2022–23 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | Final Round | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | Nijo Gilbert | 8 |
| 2023–24 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 5 | Quarter Finalist | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 2 | Nijo Gilbert | |

## Honours
### State (senior)

* Santosh Trophy
** Winners (7): 1973–74, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2017–18, 2021–2022
** Runners-up (9): 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2012–13, 2024–25
* National Games
** Gold medal (3): 1987, 1997, 2025
** Silver medal (2): 1994, 2022
** Bronze medal (1): 2023

### State (youth)

* B.C. Roy Trophy
** Winners (3): 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73
** Runners-up (5): 1973–74, 1974–75, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86
* Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy
** Winners (2): 1981–82, 1983–84
* M. Dutta Ray Trophy
** Winners (1): 1995

### Others

* Sait Nagjee Football Tournament
** Runners-up (1): 1986