2022–23 Kerala Blasters FC season

The 2022–23 season was the ninth season in Kerala Blasters FC's existence, as well as their ninth season in the Indian Super League. This season of the ISL witnessed the return of the home-away format of the matches similar to that of the 2019–20 Indian Super League season after a break of two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.[1]

Kerala Blasters
2022–23 season
OwnerMagnum Sports Private Limited
ChairmanIndia Nikhil Bhardwaj
Head coachSerbia Ivan Vukomanović
Belgium Frank Dauwen[a]
StadiumJawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi, Kerala
Indian Super LeagueLeague: 5th
Playoffs: Knockout
Indian Super CupGroup-stage
Durand CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Dimitrios Diamantakos (10 goals)
All: Dimitrios Diamantakos (12 goals)
Highest home attendance34,984
Kerala Blasters FC 2–5 ATK Mohun Bagan FC, 16 October 2022
Lowest home attendance18,018
Kerala Blasters FC 2–0 NorthEast United FC, 29 January 2023
Average home league attendance28,057
Biggest win3–1
(vs East Bengal FC (H), 7 October 2022, Indian Super League)
(vs FC Goa (H), 12 November 2022, Indian Super League)
(vs Jamshedpur FC (H), 22 January 2023, Indian Super League)
(vs RoundGlass Punjab FC (H), 8 April 2023, Indian Super Cup)
Biggest defeat4–0
(vs Mumbai City FC (A), 8 January 2023, Indian Super League)
All statistics correct as of 16 April 2023.

In this season, the Blasters travelled to United Arab Emirates for their pre-season preparations,[2] but were forced to cancel all of their friendlies in UAE after AIFF received a ban from FIFA for 'third party intervention'.[3] But the ban was revoked by FIFA just ten days later and Blasters played one friendly each in UAE and in Kerala ahead of the league season. When the Blasters' main team flew to UAE for their pre-season preparations, the Blasters sent their reserve team for the 2022 Durand Cup,[4] and reached the quarter-finals after advancing to the knockout stage as group runner-ups, but was knocked out by Mohammedan SC from the tournament.[5] After the 2021–22 season, the Blasters only retained Marko Lešković and Adrián Luna as their foreigner players on two year contracts, and replaced the departed foreigners with Apostolos Giannou, Víctor Mongil, Ivan Kalyuzhnyi and Dimitrios Diamantakos.[6] The Blasters retained sixteen players from the previous squad and included seven local players from the state for the upcoming ISL season.[7]

Same like the previous season, the Blasters played the opening match of the ISL season on 7 October 2022,[8] but this time against East Bengal FC, which they won 3–1 at full-time.[9] After the opening match, the Blasters went on a three match losing streak,[10] but they came back to their winning ways against NorthEast United FC on 5 November by 0–3 away from home.[11] After the Blasters lost three consecutive matches after the opening match, the Blasters went on a five match winning streak,[12] which became a new club record, [13] and went on an eight match unbeaten streak,[14] until 8 January 2023, where the Blasters met Mumbai City FC, as the Islander handed the Blasters their worst defeat of the season by the score of 4–0.[15] Following the match against Mumbai City, the Blasters only won only two of their remaining league stage matches, and stood 5th in the table at the end of the regular season and qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament.[16] This was the first time the Blasters managed to qualify for the ISL knockout stages for a second consecutive year and it was their fourth appearance in the knockout stages in their history.[17]

With the arrival of a new format to ISL playoffs, the Blasters met arch-rivals Bengaluru FC in the first knockout stage match.[18] The match that took place on 3 March was subjected to immense controversy and is known for the Blasters' walk-off.[19] The Blasters players forfeited the match in the extra-time following the controversy around the legitimacy of the free-kick goal scored by the Sunil Chhetri for Bengaluru in the 96th minute of the extra-time.[20] When the referee rejected the argument of the players and staff members of the free-kick being taken before the Blasters players set themselves in their defensive positions, coach Ivan Vukomanović called-off the players from the pitch into the dressing room.[21] The match referee blew the final whistle and Bengaluru was awarded the win following a discussion with the match commissioner, resulting in the elimination of the Blasters from the tournament.[22] The Blasters management then appealed to the AIFF for the match to be replayed and demanded for the match referee Crystal John to banned from refereeing.[23] A separate panel of AIFF disciplinary committee was met three days later to decide on the sanctions on the Blasters for forfeiting the game,[24] and the disciplinary committee rejected the Blasters' protest to replay the match.[25] The AIFF disciplinary committee that met later that month imposed a fine of rupees 4 crores on the Blasters for abandoning the game and asked them to issue a public apology within a week, failing which the club would have to pay a fine of rupees 6 crores.[26] The disciplinary committee also imposed a 10-match ban on Vukomanović from taking part in any AIFF held tournaments along with a fine of rupees 5 lakhs, and directed the latter to issue a public apology within a week, same as that of the club, failing which the fine would be increased, doubling to rupees 10 lakhs.[27] The club and Vukomanović then issued their apologies and 'regrets' as directed by the AIFF DC as a part of their verdict.[28]

After the ISL season, the Blasters took part in the 2023 Indian Super Cup, which took place in Kozhikode, Kerala.[29] The Blasters were drawn in Group A alongside Bengaluru FC.[30] They won their first group stage match of the tournament on 8 April against RoundGlass Punjab FC by 3–1,[31] but lost the next match against Sreenidi Deccan FC by 2–0 just four days later.[32] They met again versus Bengaluru FC in a must-win match on 16 April, but the match ended in a 1–1 draw, and the Blasters were eliminated from the tournament that took place in their home state, and the Blasters ended yet another season without bagging a silverware.[33]

Kits

Supplier: SIX5SIX / Shirt front sponsor: BYJU'S / Shirt back sponsor: 1xBat Sporting Lines / Sleeve sponsor: Yakult & Denwud

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Season overview

April

On 4 April 2022, the Blasters announced the three-year contract extension of head coach Ivan Vukomanović until 2025.[34][35]

On 6 April, it was confirmed that the 10 home matches of the Blasters will be held in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.[36][37]

On 7 April, the Blasters confirmed the participation of their youth squad in the first ever Reliance Foundation Development League.[38][39]

On 10 April, the Blasters announced their squad for the inaugural season of the Reliance Foundation Development League.[40][41]

On 21 April, the Blasters announced the three-year contract extension of defender Bijoy Varghese until 2025.[42] The club also brought back their jersey number 21, which was retired in 2020 after Sandesh Jhingan, who previously donned the shirt left the club.[43]

On 25 April, the Blasters announced the three-year contract extension of midfielder Jeakson Singh until 2025.[44][45]

May

On 5 May, the Blasters announced the two-year contract extension of defender Marko Lešković until 2024.[46][47]

On 11 May, the Blasters announced the two-year contract extension of goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill until 2024.[48][49]

On 30 May, the Blasters announced the one-year contract extension of goalkeeper Karanjit Singh until 2023.[50][51]

On 31 May, the Blasters announced the departure of the Spanish striker Álvaro Vázquez.[52][53]

June

On 1 June, the Blasters announced the departure of the winger Vincy Barretto to Chennaiyin FC after reaching an agreement with the latter.[54][55]

On 2 June, the Blasters announced the three-year contract extension of goalkeeping coach Slaven Progovecki, and the strength and conditioning coach Werner Martens until 2025.[56]

On 2 June, the Blasters announced the appointment of Rajah Rizwan as the club's academy and women's team director.[57][58]

On 2 June, the Blasters announced the departure of the Bhutanese forward Chencho Gyeltshen.[59][60]

On 3 June, the Blasters announced the departures of the goalkeeper Albino Gomes and the winger Seityasen Singh.[60][61]

On 4 June, the Blasters announced the three-year contract extension of defender Sandeep Singh until 2025.[62][63]

On 15 June, the Blasters announced signing of Bryce Miranda from Churchill Brothers FC Goa for an undisclosed transfer fee on a four-year deal.[64][65]

On 23 June, the Blasters announced that they have reached an agreement with Churchill Brothers for the transfer of Saurav Mandal with the transfer remaining subject to the medical.[66][67]

On 24 June, the Blasters announced the departure of Bosnian defender Enes Sipović.[68][69]

On 28 June, the Blasters announced the signing of Saurav Mandal from Churchill Brothers for an undisclosed transfer fee on a three-year deal.[70][71]

July

On 4 July, the Blasters announced that they have reached an agreement with Mumbai City FC for the transfer of defender Sanjeev Stalin to Mumbai City.[72][73]

On 6 July, the Blasters announced the departure of defender Denechandra Meitei to Odisha FC on a season long loan deal.[74][75]

On 8 July, the Blasters announced the signing of Apostolos Giannou as their first foreign singing of the season with the transfer remaining subject to medical.[76][77]

On 11 July, the Blasters announced the departure of the Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Díaz.[78][79]

On 13 July, the Blasters announced the signing of Víctor Mongil as their second foreign signing of the season in a one-year contract with an option to extend.[80][81]

On 18 July, the Blasters announced the signing of Ivan Kalyuzhnyi as their third foreign signing of the season on a season long loan deal with the transfer remaining subject to medical.[82][83]

On 18 July, the Blasters were drawn in the Group D of the 2022 Durand Cup tournament.[84][85]

On 21 July, the Durand Cup announced the fixtures of the Blasters and the participating clubs.[86][87]

On 21 July, the Blasters announced that they will be travelling to United Arab Emirates on 17 August until 29 August as a part of their pre-season preparations.[88][89]

On 21 July, the Blasters announced the fixtures of their pre-season friendlies in UAE.[90]

On 22 July, the Blasters announced the two-year contract extension of midfielder Adrián Luna until 2024.[91][92]

On 23 July, the Blasters announced their squad for the 2022 Next Gen Cup in United Kingdom.[93][94]

On 25 July, the Blasters announced the formation of their women's team and the appointment of Shereef Khan as the team's head coach for the upcoming season of the Kerala Women's League.[95][96]

On 25 July, the fixtures of the 2022 Next Gen Cup was announced after the Blasters were drawn in the Group B (London Group) along with the Premier League sides Crystal Palace FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC and West Ham United FC.[97][98]

August

On 3 August, the Blasters announced it has reached an agreement for the transfer of Naorem Mahesh Singh to East Bengal Club.[99]

On 4 August, the Blasters announced the signing of Frank Dauwen as their assistant manager for the upcoming season.[100][101]

On 16 August, the Blasters announced their squad for the 2022 Durand Cup tournament.[102][103]

On 17 August, the Blasters announced the squad for their pre-season friendlies in UAE.[104]

On 17 August, the Blasters announced the signing of the forward Bidyashagar Singh on a season long loan deal from Bengaluru FC.[102][103]

On 17 August, the Blasters released the club statement on the cancellation of all of their pre-season friendlies in UAE due to the ban imposed by FIFA on AIFF.[105][106]

On 18 August, the Blasters announced Yakult as one of their associate partners for the upcoming season.[107][108]

On 18 August, the Blasters announced 1XBat Sporting Lines as their presenting sponsors for the upcoming season.[109][110]

On 19 August, the Blasters played their first group-stage match in the Durand Cup against Sudeva Delhi FC which ended in a 1–1 draw.[111] Ajsal opened the scoresheet for the Blasters in the 42nd minute, but Sudeva pulled one back through Kuki right at the stroke of half-time.[112]

On 23 August, the Blasters played their second group-stage match in the Durand Cup against Odisha FC which they lost 2–0.[113] Isaac Vanmalsawma scored the opening goal for Odisha followed by a goal scored by Saúl Crespo which resulted in the Blasters losing their second match in the group-stage.[114]

On 25 August, the Blasters announced the signing of the Greek forward Dimitrios Diamantakos as their final foreign signing of the season.[115][116]

On 27 August, the Blasters played their third group-stage match in the Durand Cup against NorthEast United FC, which they won 0–3, thus registering their first win in the 2022 Durand Cup.[117] The Blasters found early lead through Mohammed Aimen, which was followed by the goal scored by Ajsal in the 55th minute.[118] Aimen completed his brace in the 90th minute after his twin brother Mohammed Azhar assisted him which helped Azhar to complete his second assist of the game after he assisted to the goal scored by Ajsal.[119]

On 28 August, after the FIFA ban on AIFF was revoked, the Blasters announced that they would play a friendly match against the UAE First Division League side Al Jazira Al Hamra Club on the same day.[120]

On 28 August, the Blasters played their first pre-season friendly match of the season against the Emirati club Al Jazira Al Hamra, which they won 1–5 after Rahul, Mandal, Sahal, Diamantakos and the captain Jessel scored for the Blasters in contrast to the only goal scored by Al Jazira Al Hamra through a free-kick.[citation needed]

On 29 August, the Blasters announced the departures of Sreekuttan VS, Abdul Hakku and Anil Gaonkar from the club.[121]

On 31 August, the Blasters played their final group-stage match in the Durand Cup against Army Green, which they won 2–0.[122] Muhammed Aimen scored the first goal for the Blasters and Aritra Das scored the final goal for the latter, which helped the Blasters to qualify for the knockout stages of the Durand Cup for the first time in their history.[123]

September

On 1 September, FSDL and the Indian Super League announced the fixtures for the 2022–23 ISL season, and it was decided that the Blasters would face East Bengal in Kochi on 7 October in the season opener.[124][125]

On 9 September, the Blasters played their quarter-final match in the Durand Cup against Mohammedan SC, which they lost 3–0.[126] Mohammedan netted their first goal through S. K. Faiaz, which was followed by a brace scored by the Nigerian Abiola Dauda in the second-half, which resulted in the elimination of the Blasters from the 131st edition of Durand Cup.[127]

On 17 September, the Blasters played a friendly match against MA College Kothamangalam which they won 3–0 after Lešković, Dimitrios, and Mandal scored a goal each to secure the victory for the Blasters.[128]

On 18 September, the Blasters launched their third-kit for the upcoming season, which was designed to pay tribute to those people residing in the coast lines of Kerala.[129]

On 19 September, the Blasters announced that they have reached an agreement to mutually part ways with Prasanth Mohan, who left the club after spending 6 years for the Blasters.[130][131]

On 21 September, the Blasters launched their away-kit for the upcoming season.[132]

On 22 September, the Blasters announced Denwud as their associate partner for the upcoming season.[133]

On 25 September, the Blasters announced ClubW as their travel partner for the upcoming season.[134][135]

On 26 September, the Blasters launched their home-kit for the upcoming season.[136]

On 26 September, the Blasters announced BodyFirst as their official nutrition partner for the upcoming season.[137][138]

On 29 September, the Blasters announced Kalliyath TMT as one of their official partners for the upcoming season.[139][140]

On 30 September, the Blasters announced their extension of association with the Suguna Foods' brand, DelFrez as their associate partner for the upcoming season.[141][142]

October

On 3 October, the Blasters announced their extension of association with Ather Energy as one of their official partners for the upcoming season.[143][144]

On 4 October, the Blasters announced the subsidiary of the Tata Group, Cromā as their official electronics partner for the upcoming season.[145]

On 5 October, the Blasters announced ChicKing as their food partner for the upcoming season.[146][147]

On 5 October, the Blasters announced their squad for the 2022–22 Indian Super League season.[148][149]

On 6 October, the Blasters announced Bingo! as their snacking partner for the upcoming season.[150][147]

On 7 October, the Blasters played the opening match of 2022–22 Indian Super League season against East Bengal Club, which they won 3–1.[151] The match took place in JLN Kochi, and the first half ended with neither side scoring a goal. The opening goal of the match was scored by Adrián Luna, who netted a volley after receiving a long ball from Harmanjot Khabra in the 72nd minute. The Blasters found their next goal through Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, who came in as substitute for Apostolos Giannou and scored a solo goal, taking the score to 2–0. East Bengal pulled one back through a goal scored by Alex Lima, but Kalyuzhnyi completed his brace by a long-range volley just one minute after East Bengal found the net and took the scoreline to end with 3–1.[152]

On 10 October, the Blasters announced Amaron as one of their official partners for the occurring season.[153][154]

On 11 October, the Blasters announced that the BYUJ'S will continue as their principal partner for the next two seasons.[155][156]

On 13 October, the Blasters announced KIWI Ice Cream as one of their official partner for the occurring season.[157][158]

On 14 October, the Blasters announced Welcare Hospital as their official medical partner for the occurring season.[159]

On 16 October, the Blasters played their second match of the season against ATK Mohun Bagan FC, which they lost 2–5.[160] Kalyuzhnyi's goal gave the Blasters an early lead in 6th minute of the match, but was equalized by ATK Mohun Bagan through a goal scored by Dimitri Petratos in the 26th minute, who would soon go on the complete his hat-trick with two more goals coming in the second half. Joni Kauko and Lenny Rodrigues scored the other two goals for ATKMB in the first half and second-half respectively, while the Blasters found their second goal through a goal scored by Rahul KP in the 81st minute, who came in as a substitute for Sahal Abdul Samad later in the game, which ended in a disastrous defeat for the Blasters in Kochi.[161]

On 23 October, the Blasters played their third match of the season against Odisha FC, which they lost 2–1.[162] The Blasters opened the score-sheet through Harmanjot Khabra, who netted the ball set-up by Luna by a header in the first-half. The game was snatched by Odisha in the second-half when they pulled two goals back through the goals scored by Jerry Mawihmingthanga, and a late goal scored by the substitute Pedro Martín, which saw the Blasters losing their second-consecutive match of the season.[163]

On 28 October, the Blasters played their fourth match of the season against Mumbai City FC, which they lost 0–2.[164] Mumbai found their first goal in the 21st minute by Mehtab Singh, which was followed by the goal scored by the ex-Blasters player Jorge Pereyra Díaz, who netted the ball in the 31st minute of the match, as the Blasters lost their third-consecutive match of the season.[165]

November

On 5 November, the Blasters played their fifth match of the season against NorthEast United FC, which they won 0–3.[166] The first-half on the match held in Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium went goalless, but the Blasters found their first goal of the match when Dimitrios Diamantakos shook the net after receiving a ball from Saurav Mandal from the wing in the 56th minute. Sahal Abdul Samad came in as a substitute for Mandal in the 65th minute of the match, who scored a brace in the last moments of the match as the Blasters won their second match of the season.[167]

On 12 November, the Blasters announced Bank of Baroda as their official banking partner for the occurring season.[168]

On 13 November, the Blasters played their sixth match of the season against FC Goa, which they won 3–1.[37] The majority of the first-half passed with neither side scoring a goal, until Luna's goal in the 42nd minute gave the Blasters a 1–0 lead. Blasters extended their lead in the added time of the first-half, as Diamantakos scored a penalty right before the half-time. The Blasters found their third goal of the match through Kalyuzhnyi, who netted a long-ranger in the 52nd minute of the match. Goa pulled one back through Noah Sadaoui in the 67th minute, but the Blasters managed to win their third match of the season.[38]

On 19th November, the Blasters played their seventh match of the season against Hyderabad FC, which they won 0–1.[169] The sole goal of the match in the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium was scored by Diamantakos in the 18th minute of the game, who scored in his third-consecutive match, as the Blasters defeated the reigning championship winners putting an end to their unbeaten-streak and winning their fourth match of the season. It was also the first time ever that the club made three consecutive win in its history.[170]

December

On 4 December 2022, the Blasters played their eighth match of the season against Jamshedpur FC which they won 0–1.[171] Diamantakos scored in his fourth-consecutive match in the 17th minute after tapping in a Luna's freekick which served as the only goal as the Blasters won their fourth-consecutive match by defeating the reigning league champions away from home.[172]

On 11 December, the Blasters played their ninth match of the season against the southern rivals Bengaluru FC, which they won 3–2.[173] Bengaluru scored the opening goal through a penalty scored by Sunil Chettri in the 14th minute, but the Blasters equalized through Marko Lešković, who scored his debut goal in the 25th minute of the match. Diamantakos, who scored in his fifth-consecutive match gave the Blasters lead for the first time in the game when he slotted in a ball assisted by Luna in the 43rd minute right before the half-time. Apostolos Giannou scored the third goal of the night for the Blasters, who came in as a substitute for Kalyuzhnyi and scored his debut goal in the 70th minute. Javi Hernández scored the second goal for Bengaluru in the 81st minute but the Blasters managed to win the match by full-time thereby winning their fifth-consecutive match of the season.[174]

On 19 December, the Blasters played their tenth match of the season against the older southern rivals Chennaiyin FC, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[175] The Blasters scored the first goal of the night through Sahal, who scored for the Blasters in the 23rd minute but Chennaiyin levelled the match three minutes into the second-half through the former Blasters man Vincy Barretto, who netted the ball as the match ended in a 1–1 draw.[176]

On 26 December, the Blasters played their eleventh match of the season in the Boxing Day match against Odisha FC, which they won 1–0. [177] The first-half ended with neither sides finding the net, but the Blasters took their lead in the 86th minute through Sandeep Singh, who scored a header from a Bryce Miranda assist as the sole goal from Sandeep helped the Blasters to win their seventh match of the season and to move to the third spot in the table.[178]

On 29 December, the Blasters announced that they have reached an agreement for the transfer of Puitea to ATK Mohun Bagan for an undisclosed transfer fee.[179][180]

January

On 3 January 2023, the Blasters played their twelfth match of the season against Jamshedpur FC, which they won 3–1.[181] Giannou's backheel flick in the 9th minute put the Blasters in a 1–0 early lead, but Jamshedpur found the level through Daniel Chima Chukwu in the 17th minute. Diamantakos, who scored his sixth goal of the season put the Blasters ahead when he scored from the spot in the 31st minute, which was followed by a second-half goal netted by Luna in the 65th minute. This was also the 200th goal for the club in the Indian Super League and became the fourth team to do so, as the Blasters won their eighth match of the season.[182]

On 9 January, the Blasters played their thirteenth match of the season against Mumbai City FC, which they lost 4–0.[183] The Blasters conceded all four goal in the first-half as the ex-Blasters player Jorge Pereyra Díaz scored a brace, along with a goal each by both Greg Stewart and Bipin Singh. This defeat marked the end of the Blasters' eight match unbeaten streak.[184]

On 20 January, it was announced that the twins; Muhammed Aimen and Mohammed Azhar, who represented the club in the 2022 Durand Cup and in the ongoing Kerala Premier League season, were promoted to the first-team.[185]

On 22 January, the Blasters played their fourteenth match of the season against FC Goa, which they lost 3–1. Iker Guarrotxena gave the lead to Goa through a penalty which was doubled by Noah Sadaoui in the first-half. Blasters pulled one back through Diamantakos, who scored his seventh goal of the season in the 51st minute of the match but Redeem Tlang scored the third goal of the night for Goa, as the Blasters lost their fifth game of the season.[186]

On 24 January, the Blasters provided a statement on the injury sustained by Sandeep Singh during the match against FC Goa on 22 January.[187] He sustained a fracture in his ankle during impact after a collision with Goa's Saviour Gama and had to get stitches in his head before being taken out from the match.[188] The club statement further added that Sandeep would undergo a surgery for the same.[189]

On 29 January, the Blasters played their fifteenth match of the season against NorthEast United FC, which they won 2–0.[190] The match was goalless until the 42nd minute where Diamantakos scored a header from an assist from Bryce Miranda, and he completed his brace just two minutes after in the 44th minute, when Luna assisted for the Greek striker as he scored an open-goal thereby doubling their lead before the half-time. The match witnessed no goal in the second-half but the first-half brace from Diamantakos helped the Blasters to win their ninth match of the season.[191]

On 30 January, the Blasters announced that Givson Singh has been loaned-out to Chennaiyin FC for the rest of the season.[192][193]

On 31 January, the Blasters announced that they have signed midfielder Danish Farooq Bhat from rivals Bengaluru FC on a three and half year contract for an undisclosed fee until 2026.[194][195]

February

On 3 February, the Blasters played their sixteenth match of the season against East Bengal Club, which they lost 1–0.[196] Cleiton Silva scored the only goal of the match for East Bengal as the Blasters lost their sixth match of the season.[197]

On 6 February, the Blasters announced Indian cricketer Sanju Samson as their new brand ambassador.[198][199]

On 7 February, the Blasters played their seventeenth match of the season against Chennaiyin FC, which they won 2–1.[200] Abdenasser El Khayati scored an early goal for Chennaiyin but the Blasters levelled the goal when Luna netted the ball in the 38th minute of the game. Rahul broke the deadlock and won the match for the Blasters as he scored the second goal for the Blasters in the 64th minute and the Blasters won their tenth game of the season, edging near the qualification to knockout stages of the season.[201]

On 11 February, the Blasters played their eighteenth match of the season against Bengaluru FC, which they lost 1–0.[202] Roy Krishna put Bengaluru in front in the 32nd minute of the match as the Blasters lost their seventh match of the season.[203]

On 16 February, the Blasters qualified for the ISL playoffs for the second consecutive time following the 1–2 defeat of FC Goa over Chennaiyin FC.[204] This was the Blasters' fourth qualification to the ISL playoffs in their history.[205]

On 18 February, the Blasters played their nineteenth match of the season against ATK Mohun Bagan FC, which they lost 2–1. Diamantakos scored his tenth goal of the season in the 16th minute of the match to put the Blasters in front, but ATK Mohun Bagan levelled through Carl McHugh in the 23rd minute and scored his second goal in the 71st minute. Rahul was sent-off for a second yellow in the 64th minute as the Blasters lost their eighth match of the season.[1]

On 22 February, the Blasters launched 'House of KBFC', a consumer-focused initiative of the football club.[206]

On 23 February, the Blasters announced the contract extension of their sporting director Karolis Skinkys on a five-year contract till 2028.[207][208]

On 26 February, the Blasters played their twentieth and last match of the league stage against Hyderabad FC, which they lost 0–1.[209] The only goal of the match was scored by Borja Herrera, who put Hyderabad in front inn the first-half, as the Blasters lost their ninth match of the season.[210]

March

On 3 March, the Blasters played their knockout match in the playoffs against rivals Bengaluru FC, which was subjected to immense controversy.[211] The match went to extra-time after the first ninety minutes ended in a goalless draw. The match was subjected to controversy when the Bengaluru skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a 'free-kick' goal in the 96th minute. Following the goal, the Blasters players walked-off the pitch after coach Ivan Vukomanović called them off from the pitch. The incident occurred when Chhetri scored a free-kick before the Blasters players set themselves in their defensive positions.[212] The goal was given for Bengaluru and the Blasters players walked-off from the pitch in the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The match was later stopped by the match officials and Bengaluru was awarded the win and qualification the semi-finals.[213] The Blasters later alleged that the referee asked Luna to move away from the ball and hence the free kick should have only been allowed following a whistle. The club sought a rematch and a ban on the referee Crystal John, who controlled the match.[214]

On 6 March, the AIFF disciplinary committee rejected the Blasters' protest to replay the controversial knockout stage match against Bengaluru FC and to ban the match referee Crystal John.[215][216] The separate panel of the AIFF DC that met on the day rejected the case of the Blasters citing that the case did not fall in the exception mentioned in the Article 70.5 of the AIFF disciplinary code,[217] and further issued a notice to the Blasters for the violation of the Article 58.1 of the AIFF disciplinary code by walking-out of the match.[218]

On 7 March, the AIFF announced the draw for the 2023 Indian Super Cup that is to be held in Kerala from 3 April,[219] and the Blasters was drawn in the Group A alongside the rivals Bengaluru FC.[220][221]

On 28 March, the Times of India sports journalist Marcus Megulhao reported that the Blasters would be penalized upto rupees 5 crores by the AIFF DC for walking-out of the playoff match against Bengaluru.[222][223]

On 29 March, the Blasters announced that Adrián Luna will not be part of the Blasters squad for the upcoming Super Cup, as he was granted extended leave for personal reasons.[224][225]

On 31 March, AIFF DC imposed a fine of rupees 4 crores on the Blasters for walking off the pitch in the playoff match against Bengaluru on 3 March, and also imposed a 10-match ban and a fine of rupees 5 lakhs on coach Ivan Vukomanović and directed both the parties to issue a public apology within a week.[226] The committee also stated that if the Blasters and Vukomanović fails to issue their public apologies within a week,[227] the fine would be raised to rupees 6 crores to the Blasters management and rupees10 lakhs to Vukomanović.[228]

April

On 2 April, the Blasters and the coach Ivan Vukomanović issued their apologies for the walk-off in the match against Bengaluru on March, as demanded by the AIFF DC two days before in their verdict on the issue.[229][230]

On 3 April, the Blasters announced their squad for the 2023 Indian Super Cup.[231] Eleven local Kerala players were added to the squad for the tournament.[232]

On 8 April, the Blasters played their first group stage match in the Super Cup against the reigning I-League champions RoundGlass Punjab FC, which they won 3–1.[233] The Blasters ended the first-half in a 1–0 lead when Diamantakos netted the penalty in the 41st minute, as a result of a foul on Saurav Mandal in the penalty box. The Blasters doubled their lead in the 54th minute when Nishu Kumar scored his first goal of the season from a ball by Sahal. Krishananda Singh pulled one back for Punjab in the 73rd minute, but Rahul K. P. who came in as a substitute for Diamantakos sealed the victory for the Blasters in the final seconds of the additional time from a miss pass from the Punjab player Juan Mera as the Blasters won the match 3–1 at full-time. This was the first ever victory for the club in the Indian Super Cup.[234] This game also marked the first team debut for the Blasters' goalkeeper Sachin Suresh.[235]

On 12 April, the Blasters played their second group stage match in the Super Cup against Sreenidi Deccan FC, which they lost 2–0.[236] Sreenidi opened the scoresheet in the 17th minute through Rilwan Hassan and doubled their lead by a volley before the half-time through David Castañeda in the 44th minute, as the Blasters lost their first match of the tournament.[237]

On 16 April, the Blasters played their last group stage match in the Super Cup against the rivals Bengaluru FC, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[238] Roy Krishna put Bengaluru in front in the 23rd minute of the first-half, but Diamantakos scored a 77th minute header to level the match, but the Blasters were eliminated from the tournament as they finished third in the table.[239]

Players

Indian Super League Squad

No.NameNationalityPosition(s)Date of Birth (Age)
Goalkeepers
1Karanjit Singh GK (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986 (age 38)
13Prabhsukhan Singh Gill GK (2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 23)
31Sachin Suresh GK (2001-01-18) 18 January 2001 (age 23)
78Muheet Shabir GK (2001-08-07) 7 August 2001 (age 22)
Defenders
3Sandeep Singh CB/LB/RB (1995-03-01) 1 March 1995 (age 29)
4Ruivah Hormipam CB (2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 23)
10Harmanjot Khabra RB/CM (1988-12-18) 18 December 1988 (age 35)
14Jessel Carneiro (Captain) LB (1990-07-14) 14 July 1990 (age 33)
21Bijoy Varghese CB (2000-03-14) 14 March 2000 (age 24)
22Nishu Kumar RB/LB (1997-10-05) 5 October 1997 (age 26)
23Víctor Mongil CB/CDM (1992-07-21) 21 July 1992 (age 31)
55Marko Lešković CB (1991-04-27) 27 April 1991 (age 33)
Midfielders
6Danish Farooq Bhat LM (1996-05-09) 9 May 1996 (age 28)
8Ayush Adhikari CM (2000-07-30) 30 July 2000 (age 23)
18Sahal Samad CM/AM (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 27)
20Adrián Luna (Vice-captain) AM/LW/RW/CM/CF (1992-03-12) 12 March 1992 (age 32)
25Jeakson Singh CDM/CB (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 23)
27Saurav Mandal LM/LW (2000-11-06) 6 November 2000 (age 23)
28Nihal Sudeesh RW (2001-06-18) 18 June 2001 (age 23)
32Mohammed Azhar CM (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
33Vibin Mohanan CM (2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 21)
77Ivan Kalyuzhnyi CM (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 26)
81Bryce Miranda LW (1999-09-23) 23 September 1999 (age 24)
Forwards
9Dimitrios Diamantakos ST (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 31)
17Rahul K. P. RW/CF (2000-03-16) 16 March 2000 (age 24)
19Mohammed Aimen CF (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
30Bidyashagar Singh CF (1998-03-11) 11 March 1998 (age 26)
45Sreekuttan M S CF (2004-11-30) 30 November 2004 (age 19)
99Apostolos Giannou ST (1990-01-25) 25 January 1990 (age 34)

Durand Cup Squad

No.NameNationalityPosition(s)Date of Birth (Age)
Goalkeepers
1Sachin Suresh (Captain) GK (2001-01-18) 18 January 2001 (age 23)
13Muhammed Murshad GK (2004-03-22) 22 March 2004 (age 20)
77Muhammed Jaseen GK (2004-01-05) 5 January 2004 (age 20)
Defenders
3Marvaan Hussain DF (2004-05-14) 14 May 2004 (age 20)
5Tejas Krishna S DF (2001-06-09) 9 June 2001 (age 23)
12Muhammed Basith DF (2002-08-15) 15 August 2002 (age 21)
19Sherin Salari DF (2004-02-08) 8 February 2004 (age 20)
20Abhiram K DF (2004-11-03) 3 November 2004 (age 19)
33Muhammed Saheef DF (2003-02-07) 7 February 2003 (age 21)
55Adhil Ashraf DF (2004-07-25) 25 July 2004 (age 19)
66Aritra Das DF (2003-05-27) 27 May 2003 (age 21)
Midfielders
6Mohammed Azhar MF (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
8Vibin Mohanan MF (2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 21)
10Gaurav Kankonkar MF (1996-11-17) 17 November 1996 (age 27)
16Alkesh A. S. MF (2004-04-20) 20 April 2004 (age 20)
18Muhammed Jasim MF (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 19)
30Ebindas Yesudasan MF (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 19)
80Roshan Gigi MF (2000-10-01) 1 October 2000 (age 23)
Forwards
9Muhammed Ajsal FW (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 21)
11Mohammed Aimen FW (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
15Subha Ghosh FW (2000-12-22) 22 December 2000 (age 23)

Super Cup Squad

No.NameNationalityPosition(s)Date of Birth (Age)
Goalkeepers
1Karanjit Singh GK (1986-01-08) 8 January 1986 (age 38)
13Prabhsukhan Singh Gill GK (2001-01-02) 2 January 2001 (age 23)
31Sachin Suresh GK (2001-01-18) 18 January 2001 (age 23)
78Muheet Shabir GK (2001-08-07) 7 August 2001 (age 22)
Defenders
3Sandeep Singh CB/LB/RB (1995-03-01) 1 March 1995 (age 29)
4Ruivah Hormipam CB (2001-01-25) 25 January 2001 (age 23)
5Tejas Krishna S DF (2001-06-09) 9 June 2001 (age 23)
14Jessel Carneiro (Captain) LB (1990-07-14) 14 July 1990 (age 33)
21Bijoy Varghese CB (2000-03-14) 14 March 2000 (age 24)
22Nishu Kumar RB/LB (1997-10-05) 5 October 1997 (age 26)
23Víctor Mongil CB/CDM (1992-07-21) 21 July 1992 (age 31)
55Marko Lešković CB (1991-04-27) 27 April 1991 (age 33)
Muhammed Saheef CB (2003-02-07) 7 February 2003 (age 21)
Midfielders
6Danish Farooq Bhat LM (1996-05-09) 9 May 1996 (age 28)
8Ayush Adhikari CM (2000-07-30) 30 July 2000 (age 23)
25Jeakson Singh CDM/CB (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 23)
32Mohammed Azhar CM (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
33Vibin Mohanan CM (2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 21)
77Ivan Kalyuzhnyi CM (1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 26)
Forwards
9Dimitrios Diamantakos ST (1993-03-05) 5 March 1993 (age 31)
17Rahul K. P. RW/CF (2000-03-16) 16 March 2000 (age 24)
18Sahal Samad LW/CM/AM (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 27)
19Mohammed Aimen CF (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
27Saurav Mandal LW/LM (2000-11-06) 6 November 2000 (age 23)
28Nihal Sudeesh RW (2001-06-18) 18 June 2001 (age 23)
30Bidyashagar Singh CF (1998-03-11) 11 March 1998 (age 26)
45Sreekuttan M S CF (2004-11-30) 30 November 2004 (age 19)
81Bryce Miranda LW (1999-09-23) 23 September 1999 (age 24)
99Apostolos Giannou ST (1990-01-25) 25 January 1990 (age 34)

Transfers

Transfers In

DatePlayerPositionNo.Last ClubFeeRef.
15 June 2022 Bryce MirandaLW81 Churchill Brothers FC GoaUndisclosed fee[240]
28 June 2022 Saurav MandalLM27 Churchill Brothers FC GoaUndisclosed fee[241]
8 July 2022 Apostolos GiannouST99 Macarthur FCFree transfer[242]
13 July 2022 Víctor MongilCB23 Odisha FCFree transfer[243]
18 July 2022 Ivan KalyuzhnyiCM77 FC OleksandriyaLoan transfer[244]
17 August 2022 Bidyashagar SinghCF30 Bengaluru FCLoan transfer[102]
25 August 2022 Dimitrios DiamantakosCF9 HNK Hajduk SplitFree transfer[245]
31 January 2023 Danish Farooq BhatLM6 Bengaluru FCUndisclosed fee[246]

Loan Returns

PositionNo.PlayerFrom
CF49 Subha Ghosh East Bengal
CF23 Naorem Mahesh Singh East Bengal
RW33 Sreekuttan VS Gokulam Kerala
CB26 Abdul Hakku Gokulam Kerala
RW22 Seityasen Singh Hyderabad
No.NameNationalityPosition(s)Date of Birth (Age)Ref.
28Nihal Sudeesh RW (2001-06-18) 18 June 2001 (age 23)[247]
33Vibin Mohanan CM (2003-02-06) 6 February 2003 (age 21)
19Mohammed Aimen FW (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)[185]
32Mohammed Azhar MF (2003-01-20) 20 January 2003 (age 21)
2Muhammed Saheef DF (2003-02-07) 7 February 2003 (age 21)
9Muhammad Ajsal FW (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 21)

Contract Extensions

NoPlayerPositionContract TillRef.
21 Bijoy VargheseCB2025[43]
25 Jeakson SinghCDM2025[248]
55 Marko LeškovićCB2024[46]
13 Prabhsukhan GillGK2024[249]
1 Karanjit SinghGK2023[250]
3 Sandeep SinghCB2025[251]
20 Adrián LunaAM2024[252]

Loan Outs

PositionNo.PlayerToRef.
LB19 Denechandra Meitei Odisha FC[253]
CM11 Givson Singh Chennaiyin FC[254]

Transfers Out

Exit DatePlayerPositionNo.ToFeeRef.
31 May 2022 Álvaro VázquezST99 FC GoaFree transfer[255]
1 June 2022 Vincy BarrettoRW47 Chennaiyin FCUndisclosed fee[256]
2 June 2022 Chencho GyeltshenFW/LW77 Paro FCFree transfer[257]
3 June 2022 Albino GomesGK32 Churchill Brothers FC GoaEnd of contract[60]
3 June 2022 Seityasen SinghRW/RM22TBDEnd of contract
24 June 2022 Enes SipovićCB2 Al-Jahra SCFree transfer[258]
4 July 2022 Sanjeev StalinLB/LW15 Mumbai City FCUndisclosed fee[259]
11 July 2022 Jorge Pereyra DíazST30 Mumbai City FCEnd of loan period[260]
3 August 2022 Naorem Mahesh SinghCF23 East Bengal ClubUndisclosed fee[99]
29 August 2022 Sreekuttan VSRW/ST33 Gokulam Kerala FCEnd of contract[121]
29 August 2022 Abdul HakkuCB24 Real Kashmir FCEnd of contract
29 August 2022 Anil GaonkarCF37 FC TakinEnd of contract
4 September 2022 Subha GhoshCF49 Gokulam KeralaContract terminated[261]
19 September 2022 Prasanth MohanRW/RM/RB24 Chennaiyin FCContract terminated[262]
29 December 2022 PuiteaCM/RW/CDM7 ATK Mohun Bagan FCUndisclosed fee[263]

Management

As of 4 August 2022
RoleNameRefs.
Head coach/Manager Ivan Vukomanović[264]
Assistant coach Frank Dauwen[101]
Assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed[265]
Strength and conditioning Coach Werner Martens[266]
Goalkeeping coach Slaven Progovecki[267]
Reserves and U18 Head Coach T. G. Purushothaman[268]
Academy & Women's Team Director Rajah Rizwan[58]
Scouting Head Ishfaq Ahmed[269]

Pre-season and friendlies

Shortly after announcing their fixtures in the Durand Cup, on 21 July 2022, the Blasters announced the fixtures of their friendly matches against three UAE clubs after announcing their plans to begin their pre-season preparations in UAE.[270][271] They cancelled all of their friendlies in UAE on 16 August 2022 after FIFA suspended AIFF due to “third party intervention”.[272] On 27 August, FIFA revoked the ban on AIFF,[273] and the Blasters announced a friendly match against the Emirati club Al Jazira Al Hamra to be played on 28 August, just one day after the ban was lifted by FIFA.[274]

Note: The Blasters' unofficial friendly match results are not included.

  Win  Draw  Loss  Void

Al-Nasr v Kerala Blasters
20 August 2022 (2022-08-20) Friendly Al-Nasr Cancelled Kerala Blasters Dubai, United Arab Emirates
TBAMatch Cancelled [1]Stadium: Al Maktoum Stadium
Note: The match was called-off due to ban imposed by FIFA on AIFF in August 2022.
Dibba Al Fujairah v Kerala Blasters
25 August 2022 (2022-08-25) Friendly Dibba Al Fujairah Cancelled Kerala Blasters Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
TBAMatch Cancelled [2]Stadium: Dibba Stadium
Note: The match was called-off due to ban imposed by FIFA on AIFF in August 2022.
Hatta v Kerala Blasters
28 August 2022 (2022-08-28) Friendly Hatta Cancelled Kerala Blasters Hatta, United Arab Emirates
TBAMatch Cancelled [3]Stadium: Hamdan Bin Rashid Stadium
Note: The match was called-off due to ban imposed by FIFA on AIFF in August 2022.
Al Jazira Al Hamra Club v Kerala Blasters
28 August 2022 (2022-08-28) Friendly Al Jazira Al Hamra Club 1–5 Kerala Blasters Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
20:30 IST
  • TBC
Stadium: Al Jazirah Al Hamra Stadium
Attendance: To be confirmed
Kerala Blasters v MA College Kothamangalam
28 August 2022 (2022-08-28) Friendly Kerala Blasters 3–0 MA College Kothamangalam Kochi, Kerala
TBCReportStadium: Panampilly Nagar Ground
Attendance: Closed doors

Competitions

Overview

  Win  Draw  Loss

CompetitionFirst matchLast matchStarting roundFinal positionRecord
PldWDLGFGAGDWin %
Durand Cup19 August 2022 (2022-08-19)9 September 2022 (2022-09-09)Group stageQuarter-finals521266+0040.00
Super Cup8 April 2023 (2023-04-08)16 April 2023 (2023-04-16)Group stageGroup stage311144+0033.33
Super League7 October 2022 (2022-10-07)3 March 2023 (2023-03-03)Matchday 15th21101102829−1047.62
Total29133133839−1044.83

Last updated: 26 April 2023 (2023-04-26).
Source: Soccerway

Durand Cup

Kerala Blasters were drawn in the Group D for the 131st edition of the Durand Cup along with two other ISL sides.[275]

Group stage

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationODIKERARGNEUSDE
1Odisha4400110+1112Qualify for the Knockout stage2–06–03–0
2Kerala Blasters421163+372–0
3Army Green411234−140–10–0
4NorthEast United (H)4103312−930–60–31–32–0
5Sudeva Delhi402216−521–1
Source: Sportstar
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
(H) Hosts

Matches

  Win   Draw   Loss   Void

19 August 2022 (2022-08-19) Group stage Sudeva Delhi 1–1 Kerala Blasters Guwahati, Assam
18:00 IST
  • Kuki 45'  78'
  • Basit  85'
Report
  • Tejas  37'
  • Ajsal 42'
  • Jasim  70'
Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: Closed doors
23 August 2022 (2022-08-23) Group stage Odisha 2–0 Kerala Blasters Guwahati, Assam
15:00 IST
Report
  • Azhar  66'
Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: Closed doors
27 August 2022 (2022-08-27) Group stage NorthEast United 0–3 Kerala Blasters Guwahati, Assam
18:00 IST
  • Boro  35'
  • Gogoi  62'
Report
  • Aimen 28', 90'
  • Ajsal 55'
  • Gaurav  66'
  • Gigi  81'
Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: Closed doors
31 August 2022 (2022-08-31) Group stage Kerala Blasters 2–0 Army Green Guwahati, Assam
15:00 IST
  • Aimen 25'
  • Das 45+3'
  • Vibin  81'
Report
  • Chhetri  17'
  • Lallawmkima  41'
Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: Closed doors

Knockout stage

9 February 2022 (2022-98-09) Quarter-final Mohammedan SC 3–0 Kerala Blasters Kolkata, West Bengal
18:00 IST
Report
  • Basith  86'
  • Gigi  89'
Stadium: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan
Attendance: Closed doors

Indian Super League

This season of the Indian Super League was played across the country in home and away formats after two seasons of hosting it in Goa due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[276]

League table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
3 Mohun Bagan (W)2010462417+734[g]Knockouts, Playoffs for 2023–24 AFC Cup qualifiers[b] and 2023–24 AFC Cup qualifiers[c][d]
4Bengaluru2011182723+434[h]Knockouts
5Kerala Blasters2010192828031
6Odisha209383032−230Knockouts, Playoffs for 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage[e] and 2023–24 AFC Cup group stage[f][i]
7Goa208393635+127[j]
Updated to match(es) played on 26 February 2023. Source: Indian Super League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) fair play ranking; 8) drawing of lots
(W) ISL Cup winners
Notes:

League results by round

Match1234567891011121314151617181920
GroundHHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAAH
ResultWLLLWWWWWDWWLLWLWLLL
League Position17997535443333333355
Updated to match(es) played on 26 February 2023. Source: Indian Super League
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches

Note: Indian Super League announced the fixtures for the 2022–23 season on 1 September 2022 with the fixture between the Blasters and East Bengal on 7 October serving as the opening match of the season.[277][278]

7 October 2022 (2022-10-07) 1 Kerala Blasters 3–1 East Bengal Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 34,978
Referee: C. R. Srikrishna
Man of the Match: Ivan Kalyuzhnyi (Kerala Blasters)
16 October 2022 (2022-10-16) 2 Kerala Blasters 2–5 ATK Mohun Bagan Kochi, Kerala
19:30 ISTReport
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 34,984
Referee: R. Venkatesh
Man of the Match: Dimitri Petratos (ATK Mohun Bagan)
23 October 2022 (2022-10-23) 3 Odisha 2–1 Kerala Blasters Bhubaneswar, Odisha
19:30 ISTReport
Stadium: Kalinga Stadium
Attendance: 5,217
Referee: L Priyobarta Singh
Man of the Match: Pedro Martín (Odisha)
28 October 2022 (2022-10-28) 4 Kerala Blasters 0–2 Mumbai City Kochi, Kerala
19:30 ISTReportStadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 33,121
Referee: Aditya Purkayastha
Man of the Match: Mehtab Singh (Mumbai City)
5 November 2022 (2022-11-05) 5 NorthEast United 0–3 Kerala Blasters Guwahati, Assam
19:30 ISTReport
Stadium: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: 4,867
Referee: Crystal John
Man of the Match: Rahul KP (Kerala Blasters)
12 November 2022 (2022-11-12) 6 Kerala Blasters 3–1 Goa Kochi, Kerala
19:30 ISTReport
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 29,347
Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta
Man of the Match: Ivan Kaliuzhnyi (Kerala Blasters)
19 November 2022 (2022-11-19) 7 Hyderabad 0–1 Kerala Blasters Hyderabad, Telangana
19:30 IST
ReportStadium: G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium
Attendance: 11,834
Referee: Pranjal Banerjee
Man of the Match: Ivan Kalyuzhnyi (Kerala Blasters)
4 December 2022 (2022-12-04) 8 Jamshedpur 0–1 Kerala Blasters Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: JRD Tata Sports Complex
Attendance: 16,417
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar
Man of the Match: Marko Lešković (Kerala Blasters)
11 December 2022 (2022-12-11) 9 Kerala Blasters 3–2 Bengaluru Kochi, Kerala
19:30 ISTReportStadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 25,184
Referee: I Jamal Mohamed
Man of the Match: Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters)
19 December 2022 (2022-12-19) 10 Chennaiyin 1–1 Kerala Blasters Chennai, Tamil Nadu
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 11,132
Referee: Harish Kundu
Man of the Match: Adrián Luna (Kerala Blasters)
26 December 2022 (2022-12-26) 11 Kerala Blasters 1–0 Odisha Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 31,712
Referee: Pratik Mondal
Man of the Match: Sandeep Singh (Kerala Blasters)
3 January 2023 (2023-01-03) 12 Kerala Blasters 3–1 Jamshedpur Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 24,117
Referee: Ashwin
Man of the Match: Adrián Luna (Kerala Blasters)
8 January 2023 (2023-01-08) 13 Mumbai City 4–0 Kerala Blasters Mumbai, Maharashtra
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Mumbai Football Arena
Attendance: 6,407
Referee: C. R. Srikrishna
Man of the Match: Jorge Pereyra Díaz (Mumbai City)
22 January 2023 (2023-01-22) 14 Goa 3–1 Kerala Blasters Margao, Goa
19:30 ISTReport
Stadium: Fatorda Stadium
Attendance: 8,608
Referee: C. R. Srikrishna
Man of the Match: Brandon Fernandes (Goa)
29 January 2023 (2023-01-29) 15 Kerala Blasters 2–0 NorthEast United Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 18,018
Referee: Umesh Bora
Man of the Match: Dimitrios Diamantakos (Kerala Blasters)
3 February 2023 (2023-02-03) 16 East Bengal 1–0 Kerala Blasters Kolkata, West Bengal
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan
Attendance: 2,575
Referee: Ashwin
Man of the Match: Cleiton Silva (East Bengal)
7 February 2023 (2023-02-07) 17 Kerala Blasters 2–1 Chennaiyin Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
ReportStadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 21,049
Referee: Crystal John
Man of the Match: Adrián Luna (Kerala Blasters)
11 February 2023 (2023-02-11) 18 Bengaluru 1–0 Kerala Blasters Bangalore, Karnataka
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Attendance: 28,001
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar
Man of the Match: Rohit Kumar (Bengaluru FC)
18 February 2023 (2023-02-18) 19 ATK Mohun Bagan 2–1 Kerala Blasters Kolkata, West Bengal
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan
Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta
Man of the Match: Carl McHugh (ATK Mohun Bagan)
26 February 2023 (2023-02-26) 20 Kerala Blasters 0–1 Hyderabad Kochi, Kerala
19:30 IST
Report
Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Attendance: 25,743
Referee: R Venkatesh
Man of the Match: Joel Chianese (Hyderabad)

Knockout stage

3 March 2023 Knockout stage Bengaluru 1–0 (a.e.t.) Kerala Blasters Bangalore, Karnataka
19:30 ISTReportStadium: Sree Kanteerava Stadium
Attendance: 20,301
Referee: Crystal John
Man of the Match: Sunil Chhetri (Kerala Blasters)
Note: The Blasters forfeited the match in the 96th minute following the controversy around the legitimacy of the goal scored by Bengaluru.[279]

Super Cup

Kerala Blasters were drawn in the Group A of the 3rd edition of the Super Cup on 7 March in the same group alongside the arch-rivals Bengaluru FC, just four days after the controversial knockout stage match between both the sides in the league phase.[280][281]

Group stage

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsBENSRDKERRGP
1Bengaluru312042+25Advance to knockout stage1–11–1
2Sreenidi Deccan311132+14[a]2–0
3Kerala Blasters31114404[a]3–1
4Punjab FC310225−330–21–0
Source: AIFF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
Notes:

Matches

8 April 2023 1 Kerala Blasters 3–1 RoundGlass Punjab Kozhikode, Kerala
20:30 IST
Report
Stadium: EMS Stadium
Attendance: 11, 562
Referee: Tejas Nagvenkar
Man of the Match: Nishu Kumar (Kerala Blasters)
12 April 2023 2 Sreenidi Deccan 2–0 Kerala Blasters Kozhikode, Kerala
17:00 ISTReport
Stadium: EMS Stadium
Attendance: 7,458
Referee: Aditya Purkayastha
Man of the Match: Konsam Phalguni Singh (Sreenidi Deccan)
16 April 2023 3 Bengaluru 1–1 Kerala Blasters Kozhikode, Kerala
20:30 IST
ReportStadium: EMS Stadium
Attendance: 22, 565
Referee: Rahul Kumar Gupta
Man of the Match: Javi Hernández (Bengaluru FC)

Statistics

All stats are correct as of 16 April 2023

Squad appearances and goals

Note: Kerala Blasters fielded their reserve side as their first team for the Durand Cup. As a result, the lists below include the stats of players who featured for the club in different sections of the ISL and the Durand Cup.

Indian Super League and Indian Super Cup

No.PosNatPlayerTotalSuper LeagueSuper Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Goalkeepers
1GK  INDKaranjit Singh202000
13GK  INDPrabhsukhan Gill19019000
31GK  INDSachin Suresh300030
78GK  INDMuheet Shabir000000
Defenders
3DF  INDSandeep Singh919100
4DF  INDRuivah Hormipam22019+101+10
5DF  INDTejas Krishna S000000
10DF  INDHarmanjot Khabra717100
14DF  INDJessel Carneiro19014+5000
21DF  INDBijoy Varghese200+1010
22DF  INDNishu Kumar20111+6031
23DF  ESPVíctor Mongil2209+1002+10
55DF  CROMarko Lešković18114+112+10
2DF  INDMuhammed Saheef20001+10
Midfielders
6MF  INDDanish Farooq801+5020
8MF  INDAyush Adhikari901+6020
11MF  INDGivson Singh000000
18MF  INDSahal Abdul Samad23316+431+20
20MF  URUAdrián Luna20420400
25MF  INDJeakson Singh2302001+20
27MF  INDSaurav Mandal1502+11020
28MF  INDNihal Sudeesh600+500+10
33MF  INDVibin Mohanan602+2020
77MF  UKRIvan Kalyuzhnyi19415+3410
81MF  INDBryce Miranda1404+801+10
MF  INDMuhammed Azhar000000
Forwards
9FW  GREDimitrios Diamantakos2412211032
17MF  INDRahul K. P.22316+322+11
30FW  INDBidyashagar Singh900+700+20
45FW  INDSreekuttan M S000000
99FW  AUSApostolos Giannou2025+12230
FW  INDMuhammed Aimen10000+10
Players who left during the season but made an appearance
7MF  INDPuitea604+2000

Durand Cup

No.PosNatPlayerTotalDurand Cup
AppsGoalsAppsGoals
Goalkeepers
1GK  INDSachin Suresh5050
13GK  INDMuhammed Murshad0000
77GK  INDMuhammed Jaseen0000
Defenders
3DF  INDMarvaan Hussain5050
5DF  INDTejas Krishna S5050
12DF  INDMuhammed Basith5050
19DF  INDSherin Salari0000
20DF  INDAbhiram K0000
33DF  INDMuhammed Saheef100+10
55DF  INDAdhil Ashraf400+40
66DF  INDAritra Das5151
Midfielders
6MF  INDMuhammed Azhar5050
8MF  INDVibin Mohanan5050
10MF  INDGaurav Kankonkar5050
16MF  INDAlkesh A. S.301+20
18MF  INDMuhammed Jasim500+50
30MF  INDEbindas Yesudasan400+40
80MF  INDRoshan Gigi5050
Forwards
9FW  INDMuhammed Ajsal5252
11FW  INDMuhammed Aimen5353
15FW  INDSubha Ghosh200+20

Squad statistics

FactorsLeagueDurand CupSuper CupTotal
Games Played215329
Games Won102113
Games Drawn1113
Games Lost102113
Goals Scored286438
Goals Conceded296439
Goal Difference-100-1
Clean Sheets5207
Goals by Substitutes6017
Yellow Cards468458
Red Cards1001

Players Used: 41

Goalscorers

RankNameNo.Pos.LeagueDurand CupSuper CupTotal
1 Dimitrios Diamantakos9FW100212
2 Ivan Kalyuzhnyi77MF4004
Adrián Luna20MF4004
3 Sahal Abdul Samad18MF3003
Rahul KP17MF2013
Mohammed Aimen11 (Durand Cup)FW0303
4 Apostolos Giannou99FW2002
Mohammed Ajsal9 (Durand Cup)FW0202
5 Harmanjot Khabra10DF1001
Marko Lešković55DF1001
Sandeep Singh3DF1001
Nishu Kumar22DF0011
Aritra Das66 (Durand Cup)DF0101
Total286438

Source: Indian Super League[permanent dead link]

Assist

RankNo.Pos.NationNameLeagueDurand CupSuper CupTotal
120MF Adrián Luna6006
29FW Dimitrios Diamantakos3003
18MF Sahal Abdul Samad2013
381MF Bryce Miranda2002
99FW Apostolos Giannou2002
6 (Durand Cup)MF Mohammed Azhar0202
410DF Harmanjot Khabra1001
30FW Bidyashagar Singh1001
22DF Nishu Kumar1001
27MF Saurav Mandal1001
17FW Rahul KP1001
3DF Sandeep Singh1001
77MF Ivan Kalyuzhnyi1001
10 (Durand Cup)MF Gaurav Kankonkar0101
8 (Durand Cup)FW Vibin Mohanan0101
11 (Durand Cup)MF Mohammed Aimen0101
Total225128

Source: Indian Super League

Clean-sheets

RankNameNo.LeagueDurand CupSuper CupTotal
1 Prabhsukhan Singh Gill134004
2 Sachin Suresh31 (Durand Cup: 1)0202
3 Karanjit Singh11001
Total5207

Source: Indian Super League

Disciplinary record

No.Pos.Nat.NameLeagueDurand CupSuper CupTotal
5 (Durand Cup)DF Tejas Krishna000100000100
18 (Durand Cup)DF Muhammed Jasim000100000100
10 (Durand Cup)MF Gaurav Kankonkar000100000100
80 (Durand Cup)MF Roshan Gigi000200000200
6 (Durand Cup)MF Muhammed Azhar000100000100
8 (Durand Cup)MF Vibin Mohanan100100000200
12 (Durand Cup)DF Muhammed Basith000100000100
4DF Hormipam Ruivah300000000300
10DF Harmanjot Singh300000000300
77MF Ivan Kalyuzhnyi700000000700
23DF Víctor Mongil100000000100
22DF Nishu Kumar300000000300
55DF Marko Lešković400000100500
25MF Jeakson Singh300000100400
27MF Saurav Mandal100000000100
17MF Rahul KP610000000610
13GK Prabhsukhan Singh Gill300000000300
20MF Adrián Luna400000000400
3DF Sandeep Singh300000000300
14DF Jessel Carneiro100000000100
9FW Dimitrios Diamantakos200000100300
18MF Sahal Abdul Samad100000000100
8MF Ayush Adhikari000000100100
Total46108004005810

Source: World Football

Injury record

No.Pos.Nat.NameTypeStatusSourceMatchInj. DateRet. Date
3DF Sandeep Singhankle fracture KBFC.invs FC Goa22 January 20232023–24 season

- Player is injured
- Player has recovered from injury
Last updated: 24 January 2023
Source: Kerala Blasters FC

Seasonal awards

Indian Super League

Kerala Blasters

Club awards

Indian Super League

ISL Fans' Goal of the Week award

This is awarded weekly to the players chosen by fans voting at the Indian Super League website.[284]

WeekNat.PlayerScoreOpponentsDate% Votes
Week 1 Adrián Luna1–0East Bengal Club7 October 202247.8%
Week 6 Ivan Kalyuzhnyi3–0FC Goa13 November 202297.2%
Week 13 Adrián Luna3–1Jamshedpur FC3 January 202351.6%
Week 19 Adrián Luna1–1Chennaiyin FC7 February 202352.3%

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters Fans' Player of the Month award

Note: This is awarded monthly to the players of Kerala Blasters as chosen by the fans via voting in their social media platforms.

MonthNat.PlayerRefs.
October Rahul K. P.[285]
November Rahul K. P.[286]
December Adrián Luna[287]
January Adrián Luna[288]
February Adrián Luna[289]

Kerala Blasters Fans' Goal of the Month award

Note: This is awarded monthly to the players of Kerala Blasters as chosen by the fans via voting in their social media platforms.

MonthNat.PlayerScoreOpponentsDateRefs.
October Adrián Luna1–0East Bengal Club7 October 2022[290]
November Ivan Kalyuzhnyi3–0FC Goa13 November 2022[291]
December Apostolos Giannou3–1Bengaluru FC11 December 2023[292]
January Adrián Luna3–1Jamshedpur FC3 January 2023[293]
February Adrián Luna1–1Chennaiyin FC7 February 2023[294]

See also

References