Nicolas Anelka came to the party with his first Indian Super League goal as Mumbai beat Kerala 1-0.
The Centre's move to rename Kerala has had ripples in distant West Bengal, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the government of being anti-Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, congratulating Kerala on its name change, said today that despite her best efforts, the Centre is not allowing a change of name for her state since it is anti-Bengal.
