The 60th Kerala State senior inter-district football championship witnessed a thrilling semifinal match between Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram, played under torrential rain at the Municipal Stadium. The adverse weather conditions made it a challenging game for both teams, with the ball often failing to obey players’ commands.
Passes frequently dropped dead or lost pace, while players struggled to maintain their footing, leading to numerous slips and falls. The medical team was kept busy throughout the second half, attending to injured players.
Despite the difficult conditions, the match remained fiercely contested. Thiruvananthapuram lost defender S.J. Shane to a second yellow card in the 48th minute, followed by another defender, S. Shinu, in the 65th minute. Malappuram also suffered a setback when defender M. Safwan was sent off in the 67th minute.
The heavy rain created a level playing field, with both teams unable to control the slippery ball effectively. As a result, no goals were scored during regulation time, and the match went into a tiebreaker.
In the penalty shootout, Thiruvananthapuram emerged victorious, winning 4-3. The team’s goalkeeper made several crucial saves, while their forwards converted their spot-kicks with precision.
Thiruvananthapuram will now face Kottayam in the final on Monday, September 9. Kottayam had upset defending champion Thrissur 2-0 in the other semifinal.
