In a pulsating encounter at Payyanad Stadium, Gokulam Kerala FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Namdhari Sports Academy in the Indian Football League (IFL) 2025-26 on Saturday. The home side struck first through Thabiso Nelson Brown in the 33rd minute, but Seilenthang Lotjem leveled the scores for the visitors in the 73rd, ensuring both teams settled for their second consecutive stalemate of the season.
Gokulam’s head coach Derrick Perera shuffled his starting XI with two key changes, bringing in Thabiso Nelson Brown and Aman CK up front in place of Rahul Raju and John Kennedy Xavier da Costa. Namdhari’s guardian Harpreet Singh responded by handing Neeraj Kumar a start over Nishan Singh, while Karan Kumar Sharma replaced Balkaran Singh in defense.
The Malabarians came out firing, dominating possession in the opening 20 minutes. Captain Francisco Perdomo Borges orchestrated play from midfield, setting the tone for Gokulam’s aggressive start. Namdhari, however, stood firm at the back, struggling to convert chances in the final third.
The breakthrough arrived in the 33rd minute when Borges delivered a pinpoint assist to Brown, who finished clinically to send the home crowd into raptures. Namdhari reacted swiftly, ramping up the pressure towards the end of the first half, but the scores remained unchanged at the break.
The second half flipped the script as Namdhari exploited the wings effectively, forcing Gokulam’s defense to work overtime. Harpreet Singh introduced Senegalese forward Abdoulaye Diallo from the bench to inject pace into the attack.
Their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute. Diallo’s clever assist found Lotjem, who slotted home with composure to restore parity. Desperate for a winner, Perera threw on Rishad for Mirjalol Kasimov in the 85th minute.
Six minutes of added time saw both sides push forward relentlessly, peppering each other’s penalty areas. Despite the end-to-end action, neither team could find a decisive goal, ending in a hard-fought draw that keeps both outfits in the hunt early in the campaign.