The National Boys’ U-20 title has given Kerala football fans a much-needed reprieve from despondency

Kerala boasts a rich legacy in the Santosh Trophy Senior National Football Championship with seven titles and 16 final appearances. However, in the junior national championship, Kerala’s trophy cabinet has been empty for decades.

The state’s last title at the junior level came in 1995 when it won the now defunct M. Dutta Ray Trophy for the national under-21 football championship.

However, the title drought came to an end as Kerala won the Swami Vivekananda Men’s U-20 National Football Championship in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. Kerala staged an incredible comeback from 0-2 down to beat Mizoram 4-2, with the winning goal coming in stoppage time through Sheril Shaji Thomas’ penalty.

Few gave Kerala a fighting chance when it left for Chattisgarh on May 10. Coach Dr. However, TA Renjith remained optimistic, he had faith in his boys and they restored it with title victory.

Kerala started its campaign with a 5-1 defeat against Chandigarh and followed it up with a 3-0 win against Uttarakhand. Kerala went on to beat Andaman and Nicobar 12-0 to top the group. Kerala defeated Meghalaya 2-1 in the quarter-finals and crushed Punjab 4-1 in the semi-finals to advance to the final.

«The boys had quite a bit of experience and exposure having been part of professional teams like FC Calicut, Kerala Blasters, Muthoot FA, Thrissur Magic FC that participated in SLK and KPL. So they were battle hardened and just needed the right guidance. We had a 20-day training camp in Thrissur and it was player-oriented with a major focus on improving fitness.

«The team also played a few practice matches with the local clubs. I am happy that they were able to execute what we had planned during training. This title win is very important for football in Kerala,» said Renjith.

«The schedule was hectic. We had to play seven matches in nine days and had little time to recover. We lost KP Atheendran, who was a key striker halfway through the tournament. I had to use the substitutions in the matches wisely to give the key players enough rest. Our tactics were flexible and based on match situations.»

«The team felt confident and we fought back from 0-2 down in the final against Mizoram. Everyone played their part in the title win and it was a collective effort, although Calvin Thomas and Sheril Shaji Thomas, who won the Golden Boot, were outstanding,» the coach said.

The under-20 team’s title win has lifted the general mood of despondency among football fans, who had witnessed mediocre performances from Kerala clubs in the Indian Super League, I-league and the Indian Women’s League (IWL) this season.

Published on May 29, 2026