Bhubaneswar: Odisha FC suffered a 3-2 reverse against Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday to extend their winless run to four games. Jerry Mawia (4') and Dorielton (80') were the scorers for Odisha, while Kwame Peprah (60'), Jesus Jimenez (73'), and Noah Sadaoui (90+5') found the net for the home side. Odisha FC finished the game with 10 men, as former captain Carlos Delgado was sent off with a second yellow card.
The game started with a bang for Odisha FC, as they stunned the Kochi crowd by scoring in just the fourth minute. A long clearance from Thoiba Singh found Dorielton at the edge of the box. He headed the ball into Jerry Mawia’s path, and the winger calmly poked it into the net, silencing the home crowd.
Following the early goal, the game became a midfield battle, with both teams struggling to create meaningful chances. Kerala Blasters managed to get into the opposition box occasionally but lacked sharpness in the final third. In the 21st minute, Diego Mauricio attempted to break through Kerala’s defense but was thwarted by Aiban Dohling. Kwame Peprah then managed a shot from inside the box, but Mourtada Fall’s timely intervention kept Odisha’s lead intact. The half ended with Odisha ahead.
The hosts came out with renewed energy after the break, piling on the pressure in search of an equalizer. Amey Ranawade made a crucial clearance in the 48th minute to deny Noah Sadaoui a clear chance. However, Kerala’s persistence paid off in the 60th minute, as Kwame Peprah finally broke through, slotting home from inside the box to level the score.
Jesus Jimenez, introduced as a substitute, made an immediate impact. In the 73rd minute, he scored a magnificent goal, giving Kerala the lead and shifting the momentum firmly in their favour.
Being a man down, Odisha tried their best to hold on to posession. Jerry Mawia came close to levelling the match again but couldn’t beat the Kerala defenders. In the 80th minute, a dramatic sequence saw Diego Mauricio’s free-kick hit the woodwork. The rebound fell to Saviour Gama, whose shot was parried by Sachin Suresh. However, a vigilant Dorielton smashed the loose ball into the net to make it 2-2.
Just as the visitors seemed set for yet another draw, disaster struck in stoppage time. Noah Sadaoui’s shot took a wicked deflection off Rahim Ali, looping over Amrinder Singh and into the net, sealing a dramatic 3-2 victory for Kerala Blasters in the 95th minute.
The defeat leaves Odisha FC in 7th place with 21 points. They will remain on the road for their third straight away game, with the encounter against Bengaluru FC up next on January 22 at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.
