Kerala Blasters secured a 2-1 victory against East Bengal in a match that lasted for 93 minutes. Kwame Peprah’s winner in the 88th minute and Noah Sadaoui's equalizer in the 63rd led the Blasters to win their first game of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on September 22. (More Football News)

East Bengal faced disappointment after losing their third match of the season, leading to a frustrated headshake from coach Carles Cuadrat. However, a moment of hope came from P. V. Vishnu, who gave the Red and Gold Brigade the lead in the 59th minute. The Blasters quickly responded, with Sadaoui, the recent Durand Cup Golden Boot winner, equalizing just four minutes later, shifting the momentum of the match.

Kerala Blasters secured their first win of the season, while East Bengal will have to wait longer to celebrate, facing two consecutive defeats.

The Blasters were coming off a 1-2 loss to Punjab FC, while East Bengal had suffered a 0-1 defeat against Bengaluru FC. Tonight, it was the young Ghanaian, Peprah, who stole the show with his late winner, overshadowing the top scorer of the ISL 2023-24 season, Dimitrios Diamantakos.

The decisive moment of the thrilling match came when Rahul K. P. delivered a cross from the left flank. Anwar Ali positioned himself to clear any threat, but Aimen executed a smart slide to intercept the ball before Anwar could reach it. The KBFC winger then passed it to Peprah, who finished with a powerful left-footed strike.

The scenes in Kochi were stunning, with fans draped in yellow chanting, "We shall not surrender." And indeed, the Blasters held true to that spirit, turning the tide in the 88th minute, securing their first win of the season.

With this, Kerala Blasters have climbed to sixth place in the ISL standings, while East Bengal has slipped down to 12th.

Next on the ISL 2024-25 calender, the Kerala Blasters will face Northeast United next on September 29 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. Meanwhile, East Bengal will take on Goa FC on September 27 at the Salt Lake Stadium.