Mumbai Kenkre FC

Mumbai Kenkre Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra.[1][2][3] Founded in 2000 as Kenkre FC,[4] the club usually competes in MFA Elite Division of Mumbai Football League. Nicknamed "Mumbaikars", they previously participated in I-League, then highest division of Indian football league system.[5][6]

Mumbai Kenkre
Full nameMumbai Kenkre Football Club
Nickname(s)Mumbaikars
Founded2000 (2000)
GroundCooperage Ground
Capacity5,000
OwnerAdib Krishna Sinai Kenkre
Head coachAkhil Kothari
LeagueMFA Elite Division
I-League 2
2022–23I-League, 11th of 12 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website
Departments of Kenkre FC
Football (Men's) Football (Women's)

Mumbai Kenkre was relegated into I-League 2 at the end of the 2022–23 I-League season. They previously enjoyed consecutive spells in the I-League 2nd Division.[7]

History

Formation and journey

The club was founded in 2000 as Kenkre Academy FC,[8] under the patronage of former footballer and coach Adib Kenkre, and CEO Joshua Lewis.[9][10]

When we first started this club, the players themselves contributed Rs. 100 each. With that, we were able to buy our half-time refreshments, and we paid for a train pass for those who couldn't afford it. While it feels surreal to think that we're actually going to play in the I-League, it's something we've worked extremely hard for. This academy [Kenkre FC academy] and club are all his doing. He [Adib Kenkre] could've easily given up and shut shop like the many clubs in Mumbai, but his perseverance is tremendous. This club is going to be in the top divisions of India football for a long time, now that it has finally entered the door.

— Joshua Lewis (CEO of Kenkre), on club's early days and journey towards I-League.[10]

Kenkre FC were crowned champions of the Maharashtra Football League in 2010 for the first time in the club's history, after defeating Bengal Mumbai 3–0, thanks to goals from Nigerian striker Mathew Odje, Francisco Salin and Charanjeet Singh.[11] After achieving this result, Kenkre FC were granted admission into the I-League 2nd Division, then second-tier of Indian football.[12]

In March 2013, ahead of the I-League Second Division kickoff, Kenkre roped in Portuguese manager Jose Luis Lopes Da Costa as head coach and brought three of their first foreigners, Portuguese Rodilson Felisberto Fernandes Dias, Domingo De Jesus Gomes, Bruno Daniel Alciaes, and Australian Daniel Atkins.[13]

2020–present

In December 2021, the AIFF club licensing committee has unanimously decided to not grant the exemption sought by former I-League champion Chennai City FC, after having failed to receive the ICLS licence.[14] As a result, Kenkre replaced them in the 2021–22 I-League.[15][16][17] In June 2021, Akhil Kothari, India's youngest AFC A license holder, as new head coach of Kenkre.[18] The club began their league journey on 4 March 2022 against Real Kashmir with earning a historic point in the 1–1 draw.[19] Kenkre finished bottom after the phrase 1 and was placed in relegation stage. They achieved 12 points and got relegated to the 2022–23 I-League 2nd Division.[20][21][22]

After being relegated at the end of the season, Kenkre was reinstated on sympathetic grounds and allowed to participate in the 2022–23 I-League season.[23][24] The club later participated in Baji Raut Cup in Odisha,[25] in which they reached semi-finals.[26]

After struggling since beginning of the 2022–23 league season, Kenkre along with Sudeva Delhi, relegated from I-League.[27][28][29][30]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2021–present Hummel[31] Kenkre Sports Foundation

Stadium
Cooperage Football Ground before renovation

Cooperage Ground in Nariman Point, Mumbai, serves as the home ground of Kenkre.[32][33] It has artificial turf and has a seating capacity of 5,000.[34][35] The club qualified for the I-League in 2021,[36] but due to COVID-19 pandemic in India, league format was shortened and matches were played in few centralised venues.[37] As the league came back with home-away format, Kenkre played its first home match at the Cooperage Ground against Churchill Brothers on 24 November 2022.[37]

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
5 DF India IND Ahmed Faiz Khan
8 MF India IND Kiran Pandhare (captain)
9 FW India IND Yash Mhatre
12 DF India IND Al Azhar Delhiwala
13 MF India IND Azfar Noorani
14 FW India IND Jay Bhavnani
15 DF India IND Shaun Fernandes
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF India IND Aniket Panchal
19 MF India IND Arya Gandharva
25 DF India IND Lalhmangaihsanga Ralte
46 MF India IND Aman Gaikwad
59 GK India IND Tenzin Samdup
77 MF India IND Aravindraj Rajan

Personnel

Current technical staff
As of 22 December 2022
Role Name
Head Coach India Akhil Kothari [18]
Assistant coach India Mangesh Desai
Assistant coach India Sachin H.Narsappa
Team Manager India Vishal Patel
Team Doctor India Sanket Thakkar
Kit Manager India Allwyn Madurai

Management

As of December 2022

President India Adib Krishna Sinai Kenkre
Chief Executive Officer India Joshua K.Lewis
Team Photographer India Denzil Vitkar
Operations & Accreditions India Christopher Shriodkar
Logistics India Shouvik Das

Managerial history

Head coaching record
As of 14 November 2022
NameNationalityFromToPWDLGFGAWin%
José Luís Lopes Costa  Portugal 2015 2015 0 0 0 0 0 0 !— [13]
Soibam Ekendra Singh  India 2015 2021 0 0 0 0 0 0 !— [38][39]
Akhil Kothari  India 1 June 2021 till date 46 9 14 23 19 30 019.57 [40]

Honours

League

Cup

Notable players

Past and present internationals

Other departments

Women's section

Kenkre has its women's team which plays in the Indian Women's League, the top flight of Women's football league system organised by the All India Football Federation.[53][54][55][56] They also participate in WIFA Women's Football League.[57][58]

Honours

Youth (men's)

Since the inception of Kenkre, the club kept focus on nurturing youth talents and running academies.[36][60] In Mumbai, the club built and runs eight academies with more than a thousand kids enrolled before the Covid-19 pandemic in India.[36] Club's U17 team, which was managed by both Floyd Pinto and Akhil Kothari, previously participated in MSSA (Mumbai Schools Sports Association) tournaments.[61]

Club's U-19 team participated in Maharashtra zone of 2014 I-League U19.[62] The U17 team later took part in group stages of 2022–23 U-17 Youth Cup.[63][64] The U19 team also participates in MDFA Super Division League.[65][66]

See also

Notes
  1. ^
    Represented Tibet national football team in CONIFA tournaments internationally.

References
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