Football veterans lead friendly match

Players along with I.M. Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri celebrate their reunion before playing a friendly sevens match at Chandrasekharan Nair stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. The match was organised as part of the closing ceremony of Trivandrum Press Club’s Media Football League.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN

Football fans and social media influencers enraptured at Chandrasekharan Nair stadium on Tuesday evening as Trivandrum Press Club set the stage for a friendly clash for the veterans of Kerala football. The teams were captained by I.M. Vijayan and Jo Paul Ancheri, two of the most prominent football players that Kerala has ever produced.

The friendly ‘sevens’ match marked the closing ceremony of the Media Football League organised by the Press Club. While the I.M. Vijayan-led team took on a yellow jersey the Jo Paul Ancheri-led side took on a blue jersey. 

All eyes trailed I.M. Vijayan as he navigated the field donning multiple roles – from defending to play the wingman and occasionally positioning himself as centre forward. Meanwhile, a quiet and agile Ebin Rose and Boniface scored a goal each for Jo Paul’s team. A return attempt from M. Suresh, the former East Bengal Club player who scored a scorcher in the second half helped I.M. Vijayan’s side keep their hopes alive till the end. Jo Paul’s team had the last laugh with team winning 2-1 as the referee blew the final whistle. 

The football stars of yore were jubilant and animated off the field than during the match as they relaxed and strolled through the synthetic tracks of Chandrasekharan Nair stadium reliving their old memories. Banter and laughs too found its share with the veterans as they unwound. Finally, they even spared time to take a selfie with the fans present.