Naseeb Rahman rose to the occasion once again as he scored the solitary goal to help Kerala defeat Jammu and Kashmir in the quarter-final of the National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, in Hyderabad on Friday.
Rahman, who scored in the 73rd minute, is now the joint second-highest scorer of the tournament, alongside Tamil Nadu's Lijo K, with seven goals to his name.
Kerala, who have reached the tournament's semi-finals for the 31st time, will take on Manipur on December 29.
Kerala have been a formidable force in this season's Santosh Trophy, arriving at their quarter-finals against Jammu and Kashmir as one of the unbeaten heavyweights of the competition.
With a potent attack, Kerala's team dynamics have allowed them to score an impressive total of 29 goals while their defence has also stood firm, conceding only four times so far.
Facing such a high-performing team, Jammu and Kashmir, under the tactical guidance of former Indian defender and coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo, prepared a robust defensive strategy to counter Kerala's aggressive play.
They effectively closed down spaces in the midfield, crucial for disrupting Kerala's build-up play and tightly marked the wingers to prevent them from making impactful runs down the flanks.
The first half thus saw Kerala's players visibly frustrated as they struggled to penetrate the solid defensive setup of Jammu and Kashmir. Even when they did, Jammu and Kashmir's goalkeeper Majid Ahmad was alert and positioned himself perfectly to make timely saves.
Jammu and Kashmir themselves showed flashes of threat. In the 27th minute, Aakif Javaid dashed down the right flank and delivered a cross to Talib Nazir inside the penalty box. Despite having ample time and space, Nazir's shot sailed over the crossbar as the first half ended goalless.
Entering the second half, Kerala intensified their efforts and piled on more pressure on the Jammu and Kashmir defence. Their persistence paid off in the 73rd minute when a defensive mistake by Jammu and Kashmir provided Kerala with a golden opportunity.
Joseph Justin delivered a cross that the defenders failed to clear effectively, allowing Rahman to take control with his chest.
Rahman showed his composure and striking ability by firing a decisive volley past the goalkeeper, putting Kerala ahead.
Jammu and Kashmir rallied to mount a comeback and came close to scoring the equaliser in the 88th minute. A cross from the right was fisted away by Kerala goalkeeper Hajmal S. However, the ball landed at the feet of Shahmeer Tariq, who quickly took a shot, but his effort agonisingly soared over the crossbar.
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