KOCHI: I-League? Check. Durand Cup? Check. Indian Women's League? Check. As Gokulam Kerala FC continues its rapid rise in Indian football, the latest feather in the cap for the Malabarians is to set a new unbeaten record in the I-League.
After Gokulam beat Punjab FC 2-0 on Saturday, they stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 18 games and in the process rewrote the earlier record of Churchill Brothers which was set 12 years ago.
With five games to go in the league, going undefeated through the entire league phase doesn't seem far-fetched. After a 3-2 defeat to Churchill last season, they embarked on a streak that included 14 victories and four draws which has stretched into this season.
But whether they go on to achieve such a rare feat or not, Gokulam's meteoric rise through the Indian football landscape is impressive.
When the club was founded five years ago, by the admission of their club president VC Praveen, they were trying to find their feet and they didn't set Indian football alight overnight. In their first season in the league, they finished seventh. In the next season, they finished a lowly ninth in the eleven-team league.
A standout feature about Gokulam is that the club has a hands-on approach where everyone from the management to the coach works in tandem in a bid to try and improve with each passing season.
Their reserve side had won the Kerala Premier League title in the 2017-18 season which was a sign of things to come.
At the national level, it was when Gokulam went on to lift the Durand Cup in 2019 by beating Mohun Bagan in Kolkata everyone sat up and took notice.
Showing their all-round commitment to the game, Gokulam is among only a few ISL or I-League clubs to have a women's team and they went on to lift the Indian Women's League crown in 2019.
The big moment for the club was winning the I-League last season which was the primary objective for the club when it was first founded.
"After winning the league last season, as a club, we wanted to avoid the trend of the champions struggling the next season. We've seen how teams like Aizawl, Chennai City and others struggled the next season after winning the title. As a club, we couldn't accept such a scenario. Last season we huffed and puffed to the title. We didn't want to leave things to the last game this time," said Praveen.
The team has been so dominant this season that going the whole season undefeated is something the club could look to target.
"We have come so far and now we have to go for it," added Praveen.
As for head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese, the Italian tactician wants to focus only on the next game.
"I hope that we hold onto this record for many years. But my only focus is on the next game. We achieved this thanks to hard work and commitment and translating what we do in training into matches," said Annese.
With success and silverware backing them, the club has arguably earned its right to compete in the top division which at the moment is the Indian Super League.
Late last year, the All India Football Federation announced that the winners of the 2022-23 I-League season will get to play in the 2023-24 ISL season.
But according to Praveen, there has been no word on it from AIFF.
"There has been no official or unofficial word about the merger from the AIFF. The I-League teams have been discussing among themselves and trying to get some clarity from the AIFF. We would like to hear something about it. When you see that even historic clubs like Churchill Brothers and Mohammedan Sporting are not playing in the top league, it is sad. As a club, we always want to be part of the top league in the country," concluded Praveen.