RFDL Regional Qualifiers Recap: Muthoot FA crowned Kerala region champions & more

So far, 10 teams from five regions i.e., Kerala, Mizoram, Meghalaya-Assam, Manipur and North have already progressed to the National Group Stage.
Kerala was the first region to have completed the first phase which saw Muthoot FA being crowned champions. The southwestern coastal state saw phenomenal competition as eight teams displayed eye-catching football that allowed several young players a chance to impress the scouts with their coming-of-age performances.

https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1643135136383504384

Champions Muthoot began their campaign beating Parappur FC 2-0 in the inaugural match held at Ernakulam. On the other hand, Hero Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters FC, who fielded their youth side too made a solid start to their journey with a 5-1 win over FC Areekode.

But it was Little Flower Football Academy, popularly known as LIFFA, as they made a statement of intent in their very first game, by registering a massive 6-0 win over FC Kerala on 6th March.

In the third round, Muthoot upped their game and went on to pick up another victory, this time with a 4-0 scoreline against FC Kerala. The Blasters, on the other hand, suffered a setback as they were held to a goalless draw by Parappur.

With the matches rolling out thick and fast, it’s commendable how the youngsters continued to deliver bright performances one match after the other. Several young talents from different regions displayed their abilities and grabbed eyeballs of the scouts across the country.
https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1637300770604478464

The qualifiers continued to gather pace and Muthoot FA held firm grip of the pole position as they notched back-to-back victories against Gokulam Kerala FC and Kovalam FC. They were followed by LIFFA and Kerala Blasters, who were within touching distance of the group summit.
https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1636048872811249672

In a mouth-watering face-off between Muthoot and LIFFA, the latter came up strong to record a convincing 2-0 win, thanks to strikes from Saju and Ashwin. In the following game, however, Muthoot were held by Kerala Blasters in another exciting clash in the top half of the table. Nihal and Salahudheen scored a goal apiece as the two sides settled for a 1-1 draw on 21st March.

https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1643867254709436418

In the progression phase, however, Muthoot FA edged the Yellow Army 1-0 and followed it up with another crucial 2-0 win over LIFFA to cement their position at the top of the Kerala region. They went on to finish the campaign in style with a 5-0 triumph over Kovalam FC to be crowned champions.
LIFFA, on the other hand, were the second team from the region to qualify for the National Group Stage as they defeated closest competitors Kerala Blasters 3-1 in their match on 30th March.

https://twitter.com/RFYouthSports/status/1648246275203006466 

The Blasters, nevertheless, had a major positive to take from the campaign as they scored 25 goals across 10 matches - the most by any team from the Kerala region. Moreover, in the list of fastest goals scored during the qualifying stage, the Blasters had three names in the top five.
On the other hand, Muthoot FA scored the second most goals across the region (23) and had the joint-highest clean sheets (5) alongside LIFFA. Their talismanic forward Salahudheen Adnan K finished as the top scorer of the region with seven goals to his name, followed by Kerala Blasters’ Muhammad Ajsal at six goals.

It was certainly a league phase with a lot of positives from and the teams had a taste of the competition they faced in the state. With the National Group Stage matches looming large, it remains to be seen if a team from Kerala can make it to the National Championship Stage.

For more information on RFDL, please visit us here: https://www.rfyouthsports.com/ 

Don't forget to follow Reliance Foundation on: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube