Bambolim, Oct 30 : A late header from new signing Koldo Obieta helped Kerala Blasters FC begin their AIFF Super Cup 2025-26 campaign with a hard-earned 1-0 win against a 10-man Rajasthan United FC at the GMC Stadium on Thursday.

In a tense opening group D encounter, Rajasthan were reduced to ten men, with Gursimrat Singh Gill seeing a straight red card, but still pushed the Blasters all the way before Obieta's strike in the dying minutes sealed the points.

It was a match that tested both patience and endurance. For long stretches, it seemed that the Blasters, heavy favourites against their I-League opponents, would be held to a stalemate. Rajasthan, despite their numerical disadvantage, defended bravely, throwing bodies in front of every cross and shot.

The early exchanges saw Rajasthan play with surprising confidence. Ghanaian midfielder Ebenezer Amoh Kings, one of their new signings, came close in the ninth minute when his driven shot whistled past the post.

Kerala Blasters, meanwhile, took time to find their rhythm, relying heavily on Adrian Luna's set-piece delivery. In the 23rd minute, Danish Farooq's header from Luna's corner grazed the crossbar, while moments later, Muhammed Saheef's header was cleared off the line by Gursimrat Singh Gill to keep it goalless at the interval.

Just after the restart, however, Rajasthan's resistance suffered a major setback. Gill, who had earlier saved his team with a great clearance, was shown a straight red card for bringing down Nihal Sudheesh, who was clean through on goal. The dismissal left the Desert Warriors down to ten men, forcing them to sit deep and defend in numbers for the remainder of the match.

Despite the numerical advantage, Kerala struggled to make it count. Rajasthan's goalkeeper Bhabindra Malla Thakuri stood firm, while striker Robinson Blandón kept the Blasters' backline on edge with his rare counterattacks. In the 70th minute, Naoba Meitei's low cross flashed across the face of goal, inches away from Blandon's outstretched boot.

The breakthrough finally came in the 87th minute. Defender Juan Rodriguez surged down the right and sent in a teasing cross. Rising highest in the crowded box, Koldo Obieta met it perfectly with a thumping header that flew past Malla into the far corner, his debut goal for the Blasters and the only one of the match.

Rajasthan almost equalised in stoppage time, forcing Nora Fernandes into a reflex save, before Harmanjot Khabra made a last-ditch clearance to prevent a second goal for Kerala Blasters.

/IANS