Defender Sanju G will lead Team Kerala in the 79th Santosh Trophy Football Championship in Assam. The 22-member squad comprising nine debutants was announced in Kochi on Thursday. 

National Games gold-winning coach Shafeeq Hassan will once again manage the state side, with Thiruvananthapuram native Ebin Rose as his assistant.

Former Santosh Trophy star K T Chacko is the goalkeeping coach. 

Kerala are seven-time champions of the prestigious men's annual football tournament. Kerala finished runners-up last year, losing narrowly to West Bengal in the final.

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Kerala are in Group B alongside Services, Punjab, Odisha, Railways and Meghalaya. Kerala face Punjab in the opener on January 22.

"Kerala has given us a huge responsibility, and we don't have an excuse to not give our best," said head coach Shafeeq Hassan.

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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Alkesh Raj TV. Hajmal S, Muhammed Jasewn M

Defenders: Sanju G, Amanij M, Ajay Alex, Bibin Ajayan, Sandeep S, Abdul Badish, Tejas Krishna 

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Midfielders: Arjun MM, Arjun V, Asif OM, Viknesh M, Aboobacker Dilshad ML

Forwards: Shijin T, Muhammed Ajsal, Sajesh E, Muhammed Riyas PT, Muhammed Sinan AP, Muhammed Ashique K, Muhammed Ashar NA

Staff: Shafeeq Hassan (head coach), Ebin Rose (assistant coach), Shaji PK (manager), KT Chacko (goalkeeping coach), Physio: Ahamed Nihal Rasheed, Video analyst: Kiran K Narayanan

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