Rijohn Jose’s untold UAE story: Indian expat footballer who won cups, hearts in Dubai before tragic crash in Kerala

Dubai: A week after footballer Rijohn Jose's death in the south Indian state of Kerala, only a part of his story has been told.

While tributes for the 29-year-old Calicut FC defender have played out publicly in Kerala, his football family in the UAE has mourned quietly, away from the headlines, awaiting the start of the season to pay their own tribute, Gulf News can reveal.

Rijohn, a native of Thrissur, died in the early hours of September 21 after the motorcycle he was travelling on with fellow Calicut FC player Gani Ahmed Nigam collided with another bike in Kozhikode on the night of September 20. His death had come just days before Super League Kerala Season 3 he had been preparing for.

In Kerala, the Chief Minister VD Satheesan led the tributes soon after the young professional footballer’s death in the wee hours of last Monday.

During the Super League Kerala (SLK) opener between Kannur Warriors and Thrissur Magic on Friday, football fans, even though they are supporters of rival teams, switched on their phone flashlights, and held up banners in his memory.

At Calicut FC's home opener against Thiruvananthapuram Kombans the following day, fans displayed Rijohn's jersey and photographs, while captain K. Prasanth dedicated his goal to his teammate’s memory.

But for his UAE football family, Rijohn was not simply a footballer from Kerala who happened to play here. Over the past three years, he had become part of the local football community here, as a teammate, captain and friend to people who shared dressing rooms and pitches with him.

As a Dubai resident, he also worked with two companies that gave him the opportunity to play for their amateur football clubs under Kerala Expats Football Association (KEFA), widening his circle of colleagues beyond his teammates.

Some of his loved ones from his UAE circle have now spoken about their grief and their plans to honour him when the local football season begins next month.

Thanveer Jan, owner of Dubai-based Keynes Group and Keynes Football Club, is among those who knew Rijohn closely in the UAE.

For Thanveer, Rijohn was never just a player who turned out for Keynes FC. He was part of the wider Keynes Group family, having also worked with the company through its consultancy services.

Thanveer described Rijohn as a valuable member of the group’s football family. “He was the biggest strength of the team,” he recalled.

Rijohn had travelled to Kerala for a break and to play in SLK, Thanveer said. His teammates and friends in the UAE had expected to see him on the pitch, delivering goals and lifting the cup for Calicut FC. Instead, they were met with news of his death even before the league kicked off.

"Everyone was shocked and saddened by his untimely death," Thanveer said.

He said the club now intends to stand by his family in the difficult months ahead. "He cannot be replaced. All that we can do now is to support his family, especially in building a home of their own because they are still living in a rented house," he added.

Haris Pottengatt, who was among those who helped set up Keynes FC, said Rijohn had been expected to return to the UAE after SLK.

“We were looking forward to his return to the pitches here when KEFA’s local season begins. The new season is scheduled to get underway with the Kerala Champions League in October. Instead, we will be paying tribute to him,” he added.

Noushad K Kunhimoyin, KEFA general secretary, said the organisation would arrange a befitting tribute to Rijohn when the season gets underway, as planned in October.

“He was a member of our family, and we will definitely organise a tribute that is befitting of him,” he said.

He remembered Rijohn as a promising player whose life was cut short. “It’s a great loss for football and KEFA. Our representatives attended his funeral and conveyed our condolences,” Noushad added.

Away from the pitch, Rijohn’s friendships in the UAE offered a glimpse of the person behind the footballer.

One of the closest was his friendship with Sajith KS, a childhood friend from Kerala with whom he shared a love of football and, later, the journey to the UAE. The two studied together in school and college and shared a love of football long before they had set foot in the Gulf.

Uthaman K.P. Kodathur, who has been involved in the UAE's Kerala expats' football circuit through clubs under KEFA and who facilitated the duo's entry into UAE football, recalled how that friendship shaped their journey to the UAE.

When the opportunity came for the pair to move and play football there, neither wanted to come without the other, Uthaman recalled. "Rijohn and Sajith made it a condition between themselves: one would come only if the other did too. In the end, both did, and the friendship that had begun on Kerala's football fields continued on the pitches of the UAE, first at Volga FC and later at Keynes FC," he said.

After arriving in the UAE, Rijohn built his reputation through local tournaments, playing for both clubs.

Jishar Kanakkott, Rijohn's former club manager at Volga FC, also remembers the mark he left on UAE football. Jishar described him as a star of the local games and said his performances in the UAE helped shape his progress in the sport.

His reputation reached beyond Malayali expats’ football circles too, drawing admirers from other communities who followed the tournaments he played in.

When he was with Volga, Jishar recalled, Rijohn helped the team win several tournaments and became a familiar figure on the local circuit, earning individual honours along the way when his team lifted multiple cups.

His winning streak continued at Keynes as well. A wall between the opposition and the net, the defender was known for his strength, sharp reading of the game and ability to hold the backline.

Yet those who knew him say he never chased the spotlight that came with winning; he simply preferred the game itself.

For Uthaman and Jishar, the defining memory of Rijohn was the way he carried himself. "He was quiet and disciplined, never one to seek attention even as one of the most important players on the pitch. He was not remembered as aggressive despite playing in defence. His leadership came through composure and presence rather than noise," said Uthaman.

That understated personality, Jishar said, was part of why teammates respected him so deeply. "Everyone loved him and respected him for the great human being he was," he added.

For the same love and respect, some of Rijohn's friends and fellow footballers in the UAE, including Sajith, attended his funeral and a special mass held in his memory days later. For them, their games will never be the same without Rijohn, whose void, they say, cannot be replaced by anyone.