Nsungusi effiong

Kerala Blasters FC: First-half strikes from Samir Zeljković, Bede Osuji and Dani Ramírez ensured Punjab FC breezed past Kerala Blasters FC 3-1 in Match 40 of the Indian Super League 2025-26 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday.

Punjab FC climbed to fifth place in the table with eight points from five matches, while Kerala Blasters remained 13th with just one point from six outings. The victory also marked Punjab’s third consecutive win in Kochi, making them only the second team in the league to achieve this feat. Samir Zeljković was adjudged Player of the Match for his standout performance.

Kerala Blasters head coach David Català named an unchanged starting XI for the first time this season, while his opposite number Panagiotis Dilmperis made three changes, two of them enforced. Pramveer Singh came into defence in place of Pablo Renan Santos, Bede Osuji started up front for the suspended Nsungusi Effiong, and Muhammad Suhail returned to the XI in place of Leon Augustine.