ISL 2020/21: Kerala Blasters name three captains for the season
Costa Nhamoinesu, Sergio Cidoncha, and Jessel Carneiro have been announced as the captains for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League by the Kerala Blasters. Among the trio, Zimbabwean defender Costa Nhamoinesu has been named as the first-choice captain of the team, and will lead the team out in their first fixture against ATK Mohun Bagan.
Left-back Jessel Carneiro has been named vice-captain of the team for the season. Sergio Cidoncha, the only overseas player the Kerala Blasters retained from the previous season, has been named as the third captain.
The decision to name 34-year-old Costa Nhamoinesu as captain of the side comes two days before the start of the ISL season. The former Zimbabwe international will not only be leading the side, but also making his debut for the Blasters.
Previous reports suggested that Gary Hooper and Vicente Gomez could be potential candidates for the captaincy of the Kerala Blasters this season. At one point, 32-year-old Gary Hooper was the favorite, with Vicente Gomez and Costa Nhamoinesu the second and third choices respectively.
However, as things stand, head coach Kibu Vicuna and Karolis Skynkis have decided to go ahead with Nhamoinesu as captain for the season.
ISL 2020/21: Kerala Blasters favorites to claim a playoffs spot
On paper, the Kerala Blasters have a strong squad. Despite the departures of Sandesh Jhingan and Bartholomew Ogbeche, Kibu Vicuna and the club's management have managed to lure in big-name players in the pre-season.
The first to arrive was former Bengaluru FC full-back Nishu Kumar, followed by Givson Singh and Sandeep Singh. Argentinian attacking midfielder Facundo Pereyra was the first overseas player to arrive, followed by Vicente Gomez, Gary Hooper, Costa Nhamoinesu, Bakary Kone, and Jordan Murray.
All these players have played football in the top-flight, with a few having played in the UEFA Champions League as well. The expectations of Kibu Vicuna will be high this season, especially given the strength of his squad, and the blend of Indian and overseas players on his roster.