Malappuram: Gokulam Kerala FC on Saturday beat Mohammedan SC 1-0 in the I-League 2022-23 opener at Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri.
In what was a repeat of last season's title decider, Cameroonian striker Auguste Junior Boumsomlaga's 57th-minute goal ensured all 3 points for Gokulam.
The result set Gokulam on the right path in their quest to win a hat-trick of titles in the I-League.
Mohammedan dearly missed the services of captain and last season's Golden Boot winner Marcus Joseph in this clash.
After the COVID years, I-League returns to its traditional home-and-away format this season. There were 8,000 people in attendance today.
"It will be nice for the players to finally play in front of the fans after two seasons," Richard Towa, Gokulam Kerala's new head coach, had said before the match.
The Mohammedan head coach Andrey Chernyshov too echoed the sentiment. "It's very nice to have the supporters back. Football is different with fans," he said.