Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], November 6 : Rajasthan United FC will look for their first points of the Indian Football League 2026–27 season against two-time champions Gokulam Kerala FC, while Real Kashmir FC will chase their first win when they host Sreenidi Deccan FC in a double-header on Saturday.
The match between Rajasthan United FC and Gokulam Kerala FC will be played at the Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium in Jaipur, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 IST. Later in the evening, Real Kashmir FC will host Sreenidi Deccan FC at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar at 18:30 IST.
Rajasthan United were one of the most consistent sides in the league last season. They finished third in the league phase and went on to finish fourth in the Championship Phase with 18 points, according to a release.
The new campaign, the first under Italian Head Coach Giuseppe Cristaldi, began with a 1-0 home defeat to Sreenidi Deccan FC on Sunday. The scoreline was harsh on the hosts. After a goalless first half in which Sreenidi had more of the ball, Rajasthan started the second period strongly. P. Christopher Kamei hit the crossbar from distance, while Foday Trawally and Ricky Vanlalhriatsanga both went close. Nishu Kumar’s 66th-minute finish settled the match, and Diego Maurício came close to an equaliser late on. Goalkeeper Amrit Gope made two important saves to keep his side in the contest.
Rajasthan created chances against an experienced Sreenidi defence. Their task now is to turn that pressure into goals. Wingers Thomyo Shimray and Brijesh Giri gave the side pace on the flanks, and Gokulam’s defence will need to deal with their width.
Cristaldi was clear about the lesson his side must take from Sunday’s defeat, saying, “The main lesson from our opening game is simple: in football, if you do not score goals, you cannot win matches. People do not remember how well you played, the possession stats or the volume of chances created—they only remember how many times you put the ball in the net.”
The Italian has no intention of abandoning his approach after one result, but he wants more precision at both ends of the pitch. 
“We are not going to change our style or our principles based on one result because we know we are on the right path, but we must be much more concrete in the final third and pay closer attention to defensive details,” he said.
“Gokulam Kerala are a historic, competitive side, and we hope the fans in Jaipur come out in big numbers to push the boys towards our first points of the season,” Cristaldi added.
Gokulam Kerala arrive in Jaipur in a very different mood. Last season, the Malabarians survived only on the final night of the campaign, but they have started the new season with a 3-2 win over debutants Samaleswari SC in Kozhikode.
Their two Brazilians led the way. Crislan da Silva opened the scoring in the 16th minute after Victor da Silva set him up. Naresh Singh’s cross was then laid off by Victor for Makan Chothe to score the second before half-time. After Samaleswari drew level late on, Crislan headed in Sachu Siby’s cross in the seventh minute of added time to win the match. The 34-year-old forward is now the league’s joint top scorer with two goals.
Head Coach Carlos Eduardo Parreira, who has long known the forward, had predicted exactly this kind of impact, saying, “I have known Crislan for a long time, and when we signed him, I told the club president he would be our goalscorer. He proved that in the first game, and we hope he continues in the same vein.”
Gokulam were two goals up and in control at half-time, but they conceded twice in the final quarter of an hour, and the first came from a long throw. Parreira will want his side to manage the closing stages better in Jaipur. 
In attack, Victor was the creative force behind both first-half goals, and Makan Chothe’s runs kept the opposition defence stretched, so Rajasthan will need to watch both closely.
The Brazilian said the week had been spent building on the opening win. 
“Winning our first match was very important because it gives us confidence, and we have worked on improving the areas we identified from our opener so that we get better with every game,” he said.
Saturday’s match is the first of four consecutive away games for Gokulam, and Parreira travels with a fully fit squad and a healthy respect for the hosts. 
“We watched Rajasthan’s last match, and we know they have a very committed team that plays well together. On our side, everyone is 100 per cent fit and ready,” he said.
Naresh Singh, who faced Rajasthan last season, knows what awaits his side in Jaipur, stating, “Winning our opening match against Samaleswari was a very positive start for us, and we want to carry that positivity into tomorrow’s game. Having played against Rajasthan last season, I know they are a strong team and play very well at home. If we execute the coach’s plan on the pitch, we are hopeful of taking all three points back home.”
Rajasthan have strengthened their squad with experience. Maurício won the Indian Super League Golden Boot with Odisha FC in 2022–23, and Spanish centre-back Adri Castellano leads a defence that will need to contain the partnership between Crislan and Victor.
The Brazilian forward was candid about his missed chances on Sunday, stating, “The first game against Sreenidi Deccan was difficult for us because I had chances to score and could not put them away, while they took their opportunity—that is football. The mood in the camp is very good, and everyone has given 100 per cent in training every day this week.”
“Tomorrow, whatever chances come my way, my focus is on putting the ball in the net and helping the team secure our first win in front of our home supporters,” Maurício added.
Parreira is well aware of the threat. 
“I know Diego Maurício very well from our time together at Flamengo in Brazil and from facing each other in Indonesia, and we are aware that we need to play a complete game to bring all three points back home,” he said.
The hosts also have a recent result against Saturday’s visitors to draw on. When the sides met in Jaipur on April 7 last season, the match was still goalless after 100 minutes.
In the 101st minute, substitute Naoba Meitei cut in from the left and beat the goalkeeper at his near post with a right-footed shot. His goal won the match 1-0 and lifted Rajasthan to second in the table, and Naoba was named Man of the Match.
Real Kashmir FC know all about recovering from a difficult start. Last season, the Snow Leopards finished in the lower half of the league phase and were drawn into the relegation phase. There, three straight wins, including a 3-0 victory over Gokulam Kerala and a 2-1 win over Aizawl FC, took them to the top of that group with 14 points and secured their place in the league.
Their new campaign began with a 3-1 home defeat to debutants Nagaland United SC on October 30. Real Kashmir fell behind in the third minute when JH Remlala scored from close range after a long throw. Vanlalhriatzuala K doubled the lead in the 21st minute. 
The hosts grew into the match: Thabiso Nelson Brown headed over, and Marcus Joseph sent a header from a corner narrowly wide. They pulled a goal back in the 59th minute when Nagaland captain Rohmingthanga turned Lalvenhima’s cross into his own net, but Vanlalhriatzuala scored again in the 74th minute to seal the result.
The two early goals proved costly. Head Coach Ishfaq Ahmed’s side looked most dangerous once they settled, and their set pieces carried a real threat. However, they will need a sharper start against a Sreenidi side that is comfortable keeping the ball.
Ishfaq believes defensive discipline will decide the contest against an opponent he expects to punish any lapse, saying, “Sreenidi Deccan have a new coach who knows Indian football well, and they have recruited a very experienced set of players. They are the kind of team that will punish you if you give them a chance, and they are dangerous on set-pieces. For us at home, it is about concentrating on our game plan and showing exemplary defensive discipline—staying organised at the back and not taking unnecessary risks.”
“Ups and downs are part of life and football, and I invite our fans to bring their families and cheer for their team tomorrow,” he added.
Sreenidi Deccan FC travel to Srinagar on the back of an opening-day win. Last season’s third-placed side won 1-0 in Jaipur on Sunday through Nishu Kumar’s 66th-minute strike. The full-back finished into the far corner after a move involving Lalromawia, Adriano Castanheira and captain David Castaneda.
The win showed a new-look side that is already well organised. Sreenidi had most of the ball in the first half, and with Pritam Kotal and Hadi Idrissou anchoring the back line and Pronay Halder screening in front of them, they kept a clean sheet. Their finishing was the one concern. Castaneda hit the crossbar before half-time, and Jerry Mawihmingthanga fired over from a good position, so Head Coach Antonio Rueda will want his side to be more clinical in Srinagar.
Rueda expects a fierce response from a Real Kashmir side stung by their opening defeat, saying, “Because they lost their opening match, I expect them to play with even greater concentration and high intensity for 90 minutes, winning second balls and looking for goals from the very first minute. Real Kashmir is always a tough opponent at home. They have quality foreign and Indian players who are very comfortable on their ground and in front of their fans.”
Rueda, who has a fully fit 21-man squad in Srinagar, was quick to put Sunday’s result behind him. “We won our first match, which allows us to prepare with confidence, but that game is now history and our full focus is on this difficult fixture. We are in a marathon, and every match is vital,” he said. “We cannot control the weather or the altitude, only our mentality, and we have a full squad ready to compete.”
Winger Brandon Vanlalremdika, now in his second season with the club and part of its leadership group, said the opening win had lifted the dressing room, stating, “Scoring a great team goal finished by Nishu and keeping a clean sheet in our first match really boosted the morale in the dressing room. Being part of the leadership group is a privilege rather than a pressure.”
He also played down any concerns about the conditions. 
“Real Kashmir is a tough opponent every season, and while it is always challenging to play here, we train on a similar pitch in Hyderabad, so the surface will not make much difference. If we stick to our plan tomorrow, we are confident we can get the win,” he said.
Both sides have been busy in the transfer market. Real Kashmir made 13 new signings over the summer. The most notable is Trinidad and Tobago striker Marcus Joseph, who won last season’s Indian Football League Golden Boot with nine goals for Dempo SC and was also the I-League’s top scorer with Mohammedan SC in 2021–22. Joseph takes over the captaincy from Mohammad Inam, who has moved to Punjab FC, while Susnata Malick and Mohit Mittal join from champions Diamond Harbour FC. Sreenidi’s summer additions include Kotal, Halder, Jerry and Nishu, who has already opened his account for the club.
Joseph said the week’s work had centred on keeping the side compact, stating, “We have been preparing all week, and the coach has worked with us on staying compact and executing our tactical plan. Getting these three points tomorrow is very important for us to kick-start our campaign in what is a long season, and we hope the fans come out in numbers just like they did in our opening game.”
Real Kashmir also have the memory of the last meeting between the sides. When Sreenidi visited the TRC Stadium on April 19, they had more of the ball but lost 2-0. Ahteeb Ahmad Dar scored on the stroke of half-time, following up after Kamaljit Singh had saved Basit Ahmed Bhat’s shot. Oinam Sanatomba Singh then curled in a second from distance in stoppage time. Marius Obekop set up both goals, and the win gave Real Kashmir a vital lift in their fight to stay in the league.
Neither Ishfaq nor his captain is reading too much into that result. 
“Last year’s result does not play much into tomorrow’s game because every season brings different challenges,” Ishfaq said.
Joseph agreed, stating, “Last year is in the past. When you beat a good team once or twice, they always return with a different mindset, so we have to be careful and patient.”
With Gokulam Kerala chasing a second straight win, Sreenidi Deccan aiming to stay among the early leaders, and Rajasthan United and Real Kashmir both determined to get off the mark, Saturday’s double-header promises plenty at both ends of the country.