Malappuram FC defeat Kannur Warriors 3-0 at Payyanad in Super League Kerala 2026
Malappuram FC defeated defending champions Kannur Warriors FC 3-0 at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri in the final game of Round 5 fixtures of the Super League Kerala 2026 on 26 October 2026, with goals from captain Amadou Soukouna, Muhammed Mahdi and C.K. Rashid.
Soukouna, Mahdi and Rashid supplied the three goals that secured Malappuram’s second consecutive home win; the victory moved the hosts to third place in the Super League Kerala points table with eight points from five matches while Kannur dropped to fourth with seven points from five games.
The first half opened at a lively tempo with Kannur attempting attacks down the flanks through Muhammed Sinan and Nijo Gilbert and Malappuram building through the combination play of Elforsy and Amadou Soukouna. Malappuram produced the match’s first clear chance in the 16th minute when Soukouna found Elforsy on the right, but the forward’s hesitation allowed Kannur’s defence to recover. The visitors then conceded three minutes later when Elforsy threaded a pass through the defence for Soukouna, whose right-footed finish beat goalkeeper Hajmal despite a faint touch to give Malappuram a 1-0 lead.
Kannur pushed for an equaliser after falling behind, with Sinan and Asier Gomes probing the Malappuram back line, and Malappuram goalkeeper Mohammed Arbaz making several saves to protect the lead. As the first half entered stoppage time, Elforsy’s corner was initially cleared and the ball reached midfielder Muhammed Mahdi outside the penalty area; Mahdi’s low effort slipped through a cluster of players and into the net to double the hosts’ advantage before half-time.
Kannur began the second half with renewed intent but Malappuram’s defence remained organised and managed the visitors’ advances. In the 59th minute Muhammed Salim’s attempt struck the crossbar and rebounded off Hajmal, denying a near third goal for the hosts before the breakthrough arrived seven minutes later.
In the 66th minute a move down the right involving P.P. Rishad and Bongani Zungu produced defence-splitting passes that allowed C.K. Rashid to finish inside the penalty area and make the scoreline 3-0. Rashid had another effort that found the net in the 90th minute, but the assistant referee flagged for offside and the goal was ruled out; Malappuram then saw out the remaining minutes to complete the win. Fans in India can watch Super League Kerala 2026 matches on Zee5 with linear coverage on Unite8 Sports, and viewers in the UAE can follow the action on Etisalat.
Malappuram FC’s next scheduled match is the Malabar derby against Calicut FC at the Payyanad Stadium on 1 November as part of Round 6 fixtures.
