SRINAGAR: Real Kashmir Football Club (RKFC) continued their dominant home form in the I-League with a convincing 2-0 victory over Shillong Lajong FC on Sunday at the TRC Ground in Srinagar. The win propelled RKFC to fourth place in the standings with 19 points from 12 matches, while Lajong slipped to seventh with 16 points from the same number of games.
Backed by a crowd of over 6,000 fans braving the cold, RKFC controlled the game early on, though Lajong, buoyed by their recent Northeast Derby triumph over Aizawl FC, started with confidence and created chances. However, Real Kashmir’s goalkeeper Zahid Bukhari made crucial saves to deny the visitors.
The breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time when Cameroonian defender Bouba Aminou rose high to head in a long throw, scoring his third goal of the season and sending the home fans into celebration.
Despite Lajong’s efforts to equalize in the second half, RKFC’s disciplined defence held firm. The Snow Leopards sealed the victory in the 88th minute when Ghanaian midfielder Kamal Issah latched onto Mohammed Aqib’s long pass, outpaced the defence, and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Ranit Sarkar.
Ahead of the match, RKFC head coach Ishfaq Ahmad had expressed confidence in his team’s ability to secure a win. He also highlighted the challenges of away fixtures, where players must quickly adapt to starkly different temperatures. Ahmad reiterated the need for an indoor stadium in Kashmir to ensure year-round training.
With this latest win, RKFC remains undefeated at home this season, securing five wins and three draws in eight matches.
