Mumbai Kenkre FC

Mumbai Kenkre FC (also known as Kenkre Football Club) is an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.[2][3][4] Founded in 2000, the club currently competes in MFA Elite Division of Mumbai Football League, and the I-League.[5] After being relegated in 2021–22 I-League season, their place remained safe upon the discontinuation of Indian Arrows.[6]

Mumbai Kenkre FC
Full nameMumbai Kenkre Football Club
Nickname(s)Mumbaikars
The Krabs
Founded2000 (2000)[1]
GroundCooperage Ground, Mumbai
Capacity5,000
OwnerAdib Krishna Sinai Kenkre
Head coachAkhil Kothari
LeagueI-League
MFA Elite Division
2021–22I-League, 13th of 13
WebsiteClub website
Departments of Kenkre FC
Football (Men's) Football (Women's)

History

Formation and journey

The club was founded in 2000 as Kenkre Academy FC,[7] under the patronage of former footballer and coach Adib Kenkre, and CEO Joshua Lewis.[8]

Kenkre FC were crowned champions of the Maha Football League in 2010 for the first time in the club's history, after defeating Bengal Mumbai FC 3–0, thanks to goals from Nigerian striker Mathew Odje, Francisco Salin and Charanjeet Singh.[9] After achieving this result, Kenkre FC were granted admission into the I-League 2nd Division, then second-tier of Indian football.[10]

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.[11] As a result, Kenkre replaced them in the 2021–22 I-League.[12][13] In June 2021, Akhil Kothari, India's youngest AFC A license holder, as new head coach of Kenkre. The club began their league journey on 4 March 2022 against Real Kashmir with earning a historic point in the 1–1 draw.[14] 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.[15][16][17]

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.[18][19] The club later participated in Baji Raut Cup in Odisha,[20] in which they reached semi-finals.[21]

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2021–present Hummel[22] Kenkre Sports Foundation

Stadium
Cooperage Football Ground before renovation

Cooperage Ground in Nariman Point, Mumbai, is the home ground of Kenkre.[23] It has artificial turf and has a seating capacity of 5,000.[24][25] The club qualified for the I-League in 2021,[26] but due to COVID-19 pandemic in India, league format was shortened and matches were played in few centralised venues.[27] 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.[27]

Players

First-team squad
As of 26 December 2022

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  IND Padam Chettri
4 DF  IND Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw
5 DF  IND Ahmed Faiz Khan
6 MF  CMR Raphael Bidias Rim
7 MF  IND Pravitto Raju
8 MF  IND Kiran Pandhare (captain)
9 FW  IND Yash Mhatre
10 FW  CIV Ben Ouattara
11 FW  IND Ranjeet Pandre
12 DF  IND Al Azhar Delhiwala
13 MF  IND Azfar Noorani
14 FW  IND Jay Bhavnani
15 DF  IND Shaun Fernandes
16 MF  IND Deependra Negi
17 MF  IND Aniket Panchal
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF  IND Suraj Negi
19 MF  IND Arya Gandharva
20 DF  UZB Samandar Ochilov
23 DF  IND Kynsai Khongsit
24 GK  IND Lovepreet Singh (on loan from Chennaiyin)
25 DF  IND Lalhmangaihsanga Ralte
32 FW    NEP Anjan Bista
46 MF  IND Aman Gaikwad
59 GK  IND Tenzin Samdup
77 MF  IND Aravindraj Rajan
99 FW  CMR Auguste Somlaga
— MF  IND Silvester Sarao
— FW  IND Rohit Jain

Personnel

Current technical staff
As of 22 December 2022
Role Name
Head Coach Akhil Kothari [28]
Assistant coach Mangesh Desai
Assistant coach Sachin H.Narsappa
Team Manager Vishal Patel
Team Doctor Sanket Thakkar
Kit Manager Allwyn Madurai

Management

As of December 2022

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

Head coaching record
As of 14 November 2022
NameNationalityFromToPWDLGFGAWin%
Soibam Ekendra Singh  India 2015[29] 2021 0 0 0 0 0 0 !—
Akhil Kothari  India 1 June 2021[30] present 33 8 10 15 19 30 024.24

Honours

Domestic

Notable players

Past and present internationals
  • The player(s) below had senior/youth international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players with listed names represented their countries before or after playing for Kenkre FC.
  • Orok Essien (2011–2012)[34]
  • Young Chimodzi Jr. (2014–2015)[35]
  • Tenzin Samdup (2021–)[nb 1][36]
  • Anjan Bista (2023–)[37]

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.[38][39]

Honours

Youth (men's)

Since the inception of Kenkre, the club kept focus on nurturing youth talents and running academies.[26][40] In Mumbai, the club built and runs eight academies with more than a thousand kids enrolled before the Covid-19 pandemic in India.[26] Club's U-19 team participated in Maharashtra zone of 2014 I-League U19.[41]

See also

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

References
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