At the start of the season, Viva Kerala were one of the favourites to get relegated but against all odds they have managed to beat the drop and that too with one more round still to be played.
They struggled in the early stages of their I-League campaign and also crashed out from the Federation Cup at the group stage. But they started well in 2010 and entered a seven match unbeaten run, which eventually made the difference and guaranteed them safety.
Their squad doesn’t have any star and is full of young and inexperienced players, but there is no lack of talent which was proved in the course of the season.
Viva definitely deserve to be where they are now in the I-League table and coach A.M. Sreedharan should be given a lot of credit for that.
But ultimately it was up to his players to do the job on the pitch and there were some standout performers. We pick five of the best and also give our verdict on who we think was Viva’s best this season.
Bello Razzaq: Having previously played in India, the Nigerian central defender was signed to add strength and experience to the Viva defence. Initially it took him time to settle in his new club but as the season progressed, Bello’s ability to stop the very best strikers in the country helped Viva improve their defensive record. His partnership with Charles Dzisah played a pivotal role in Viva’s seven match unbeaten run.
Patrick Sisupalan: The British born midfielder didn’t have an instant impact but after getting used to the Indian conditions, Patrick showed a great level of consistency from the middle of the park. His work rate and ability to break up play allowed the likes of Sakeer, Sirajudeen and Karma to freely express themselves. Another quality which Patrick showed in his debut season was his ability to step up against the better teams. His performances were instrumental in getting Viva positive results against the likes of Dempo and Churchill.
MP Sakeer: Despite being only 23, Sakeer played like a true leader for Viva and that too in his very first I-League campaign. Known for his good range of passing and vision, Sakeer has the potential to be one of the best playmakers of the country. And this season he has shown glimpses of his talent by bagging a number of assists and also playing a crucial role in many other goals. Sakeer also got on the scoresheet thrice and thus was no doubt one of Viva’s most important players this season.
C Sirajudeen: The young winger has been very consistent in his very first season in the Indian top flight. Sirajudeen has created quite a few goals for Viva from the left flank but more importantly he has also scored as many as four goals, which has been vital for his team’s survival. He turns 25 later this year so there is lot of time for him to become an even better player but already he is a favourite among the Viva fans.
T Karma: Karma has probably been one of the finds of the season because even the locals of Kerala had very little idea about him until he started featuring regularly for Viva in this season’s I-League. Karma’s pace has given defenders a tough time throughout the season and just like few of the other young talented midfielders in the Viva side, he too has scored some important goals.
Goal.Com's Vote: MP Sakeer – The likes of Sirajudeen and Karma might have been equally consistent but Sakeer’s performances had a touch of class attached to it and to add to that, despite being the captain at a very young age, he still led by example.
Source: Goal.Com
From the archive. First published on footballkerala.com on Sunday 23 May 2010, restored from the site's 2012 database. Text as originally published.