Raman Vijayan named Gokulam Kerala women’s team head coach

CHENNAI: Former India men’s international Raman Vijayan has forayed into women’s football. Vijayan was on Wednesday appointed the head coach of three-time Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions Gokulam Kerala FC.

While ending Gokulam’s IWL trophy wait is high on the Tamil Nadu man’s agenda – they finished runners-up in the last two seasons – he is approaching the task with a broader view. The upcoming IWL season is likely to run from September to January.

“Every management recruits a coach with the target of winning a title, so it (bagging the IWL trophy) is the primary goal. But I am looking beyond that,” Vijayan, who last served as the assistant coach of Indian Super League (ISL) club Chennaiyin FC, told TOI.

“In the last few years, teams with good squads went on to win the IWL; the results were based on the strength of the squads. I would like to create a difference there. I want to play an attacking brand of football irrespective of the personnel we have. People must look at our team and say: ‘Can girls deliver such a style?’ I will put in all the effort to achieve it. To get there, support from the club and continuity are important,” said the former India forward.

Vijayan’s lack of coaching experience in women’s football is not proving to be a hindrance as he strives to turn into a “trend-setter”. Add to it the fact that he will be the chief coach of a top-level team for the first time in his career.

“My ambition is to deliver proper football; more than winning titles and matches, I want to introduce a trend that Indian women’s football has never seen. It should help Indian football on the whole as well; I want to create a team from which about five players can go and play for the national team in the future,” added Vijayan.

On why he chose to venture into the women’s game, Vijayan said: “I had offers to become an assistant coach again, but I decided that I would only take up head coach’s role upon returning from a break (he was away since the end of the 2023-24 season). I was fine with the I-League or IWL. Indian women’s football has been on the rise recently, so I felt that it was the right time to take up a role in the IWL.”



Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!