Goa: Hyderabad won their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) title by beating Kerala Blasters 3-1 on penalties here on Sunday.
It has been a season to remember for both Hyderabad and Kerala, reaching the summit of the 2021-22 Hero ISL season on the back of some scintillating performances. Hyderabad finished second in the table with 38 points while Kerala were fourth having 34 in their kitty.
The tickets were sold in record time with the massive Kerala fanbase thronging Goa in numbers to watch their favourite stars in action. The buzz was no less for Hyderabad who have reached the final for the first time.
In the semifinals, Hyderabad beat ATK Mohun Bagan 3-2 on aggregate over two legs, winning the first game 3-1 to then lose 0-1 in the second match. Kerala, meanwhile, edged past League Shield winners Jamshedpur 2-1 on aggregate, winning the first encounter 1-0 to then hold the Men of Steel to a 1-1 draw.
Like Hyderabad, Bartholomew Ogbeche has had a stellar season too, scoring a record 18 goals in 19 games and sitting pretty at the top of the goalscoring charts in the competition with 53 strikes to his name.
