Gokulam Kerala were able to overcome ISL side ATK Mohun Bagan in their AFC Cup 2022 tie. The I-League club were able to defeat the ISL side 4-2, in a statement victory from them.
The fact that Kerala are able to feature in this competition is a big achievement in itself. And the fact that they have been able to overcome an ISL line-up at full strength is even more indicative of the kind of quality that they possess as of right now.
Huge win for Gokulam Kerala
The I-League has been overlooked ever since the arrival of the ISL. And today, with a big win over the Mariners at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Gokulam Kerala were able to prove their worth when it mattered the most.
ATK Mohun Bagan will need to fight back to make it to the next round
The ISL team are currently at the bottom of their group following the defeat. And they will need to hope that Kerala slip up so that they are able to capitalise. But, Gokulam Kerala have been able to achieve a great start to the group stage and might not choke easily.
Is Vincenzo Alberto Annese right?
The Gokulam Kerala coach came out following the win saying, ‘There is no difference at all. We can see that coach Stimac – most of the time – doesn’t give a chance to our players in the national team.
‘I’m very disappointed about this, because if ATK have all the national players, and we beat ATK 4-2, missing two-three chances to score… the football federation of India must understand that there is no difference between I-League and ATK (ISL)… I can make an analysis video and show that Real Kashmir, who were fighting for relegation in I-League, gave us more problems than ATK.