Kwame Peprah, who had been sidelined for much of last season and overshadowed by Dimitrios Diamantakos, stole the spotlight from the ISL’s top scorer last year. On Sunday, the young Ghanaian netted a late match-winner, securing a 2-1 victory for Kerala Blasters over East Bengal FC at the Nehru Stadium.
Peprah entered the fray just 13 minutes earlier, replacing star forward Jesus Jimenez. The victory marked Blasters’ first of the season, and the winning goal came in dramatic fashion. K.P. Rahul sent a cross from the left, and Anwar Ali appeared ready to clear the danger. However, Mohammed Aimen intercepted the ball with a clever slide and passed it to Peprah, who fired it home with a left-footed shot.
P.V. Vishnu, a 22-year-old from Kasargod, had given EBFC the lead in the 59th minute. Noah Sadaoui, the recent Durand Cup’s Golden Boot winner, equalized for Blasters in the 63rd minute.
After a dismal season-opener against Punjab FC, Blasters coach Mikael Stahre had emphasized the need for a more attacking approach. This strategy paid off in this lively match. Despite being closely guarded, EBFC’s Diamantakos remained a threat. He ran into the box and outfoxed goalkeeper Sachin Suresh with a smart cross to his right, which Vishnu tapped in neatly.
However, Sadaoui was quick to level the scores. He raced in from the left, dodged a defender, and found the net with a precise shot to the far corner.
The result: KBFC 2 (Sadaoui 63, Peprah 88) bt EBFC 1 (Vishnu 59).
