New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Nagaland United Sports Club will make history on October 30 when they face Real Kashmir at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar in the opening match of the 2026-27 Indian Football League (IFL) season, becoming the first club from Nagaland to compete in the national league.
Founded in 2024 in Chümoukedima, Nagaland United have reached the IFL in just two years, carrying the hopes of a state whose connection with Indian football dates back to Dr. Talimeren Ao, captain of independent India’s football team at the 1948 Olympic Games.
The club’s entry into the IFL marks a significant moment for Nagaland, which had waited 78 years for representation in the national league. The team’s journey also reflects a deliberate effort to establish a platform for local footballers and build on the legacy of Ao, one of the most prominent figures in Indian football history.
Nagaland United played their first competitive match on January 28, 2025, when they took on Barak FC in the inaugural match at a newly opened stadium in Chümoukedima. The date coincided with what would have been Ao’s 107th birthday. Although they lost 2-3, the club quickly established itself as a competitive force in the Nagaland Super League.
They finished second among seven teams in the league phase, conceding just nine goals in 12 matches, before ending the season third overall. Forward Nisede Peseyie scored a hat-trick against 27 United and received one of the league’s individual awards, while head coach Khogen Singh was named coach of the season.
Nagaland United secured their first major trophy in October 2025, winning the NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy in Kohima. They progressed through the knockout stages with victories of 7-0, 2-1 and 4-0 before defeating Chedema Village Youth Organisation 3-1 in the final on October 18.
Arap Konyak, Joel Haokip and Manton Konyak scored in the final, while the club also collected the player of the tournament, best goalkeeper and best defender awards. Singh was again recognised as the best coach.
Ao’s journey began on the mission playground at Impur in the Naga Hills, where children played barefoot using improvised balls made from rags, woven cane or even pomelos. His father, who was the first Reverend in the Naga Hills, died of typhoid before Ao reached his late teens, leaving behind the wish that his son become a doctor and serve the Naga people.
Ao fulfilled that wish while also making his mark in football. On July 31, 1948, he captained India in the country’s first Olympic football match as an independent nation, against France at Cricklefield Stadium in Ilford, east London. India lost 1-2 after conceding a goal in the final minute, with eight players competing without boots.
Asked about playing barefoot, Ao famously replied: “We play football in India, whereas you play bootball.”
After returning to India, Ao practised medicine and became Nagaland’s first Director of Health Services. His sporting legacy has endured in a state where football remains deeply embedded in community life.
“Football in Nagaland is more than just a sport,” says coach Kivilu Kiba.
Despite that passion, Nagaland had never fielded a club in the national league before Nagaland United’s entry. The club’s leadership believes the state could not afford to wait for the traditional route through the lower divisions.
“It would have taken us years,” says Abu Metha, a member of the club’s board, “and we do not have the time.”
Nagaland United’s entry into the IFL came through a goodwill agreement with Aizawl FC, the Mizoram club that made history by winning the national league in 2017. Aizawl had become the first team from the Northeast to win the title after drawing 1-1 with Shillong Lajong on the final day of the season.
William Koso, the first coach from Nagaland to earn an AFC ‘A’ licence, was part of Aizawl’s coaching staff during that historic campaign.
The two clubs renewed their connection in June 2026, when Aizawl visited Nagaland for a match under the Football for Peace initiative. The June 6 fixture, billed as “Match for Peace, Goal for Hope”, was played in Chümoukedima, with tickets priced at Rs 20 and proceeds directed to an orphanage. Aizawl won 2-0.
Aizawl owner Robert R. Royte subsequently expressed support for Nagaland’s representation in the national league. On September 9, the All India Football Federation approved a goodwill agreement under which Nagaland United took Aizawl’s place in the IFL, with the Mizoram club committing to provide technical and development support.
Aizawl, who spent 11 consecutive seasons in the national league without relegation, will continue to compete in the Mizoram Premier League.
The fixture list has also created a symbolic connection between the clubs. Nagaland United will visit Shillong on November 25, the city where Aizawl secured their historic title, before travelling to Aizawl on December 7.
With the IFL campaign approaching, Nagaland United have been working to assemble their coaching staff and prepare for the demands of national-level competition. The club advertised for coaches and support staff and received hundreds of applications, including from Argentina, Spain and Brazil.
Although the club has inherited a squad and staff with national-league experience, its board has identified local talent as a central priority.
That commitment was highlighted on October 17, when 20-year-old central midfielder Ghuqhe Chishi and Vinato Achumi, both products of Nagaland’s under-20 sides, were recognised after being selected to represent the club in the IFL.
Club coordinator Gentleson Vashum outlined the scale of the challenge ahead, with the team set to play 20 league matches, including 10 at home and 10 away. Plans are also in place to install FIFA-approved artificial turf at Chümoukedima.
The club hopes to become a recognisable symbol of Nagaland across India and beyond, while creating opportunities for the state’s footballers to progress to the national stage.
“Whenever you enter any arena,” Metha says, “you enter to win.”
K. Neibou Sekhose, president of the Nagaland Football Association, has described the club’s entry into the IFL as a historic moment, while stressing that it represents only the beginning of Nagaland’s ambitions in football.
Nagaland United will play their first home match in the IFL against Gokulam Kerala on November 14 at Chümoukedima, the venue where they played their first competitive fixture in 2025. Dempo will visit later in the month, while Mohammedan Sporting are scheduled to arrive on December 19.
The 2026-27 season will see the IFL return to a full home-and-away format, offering Nagaland United the opportunity to bring national-league football to their home state throughout the campaign. The league has also reported a sharp rise in television viewership, with last season’s audience four times that of the previous season.
Nagaland United have urged Naga communities living across India, particularly students, to support the team at away matches. Their opening fixture in Srinagar will offer the first opportunity for supporters far from home to rally behind the state’s newest football representatives.
From a club founded in 2024 to a place in the national league, Nagaland United’s rise has been swift. But the significance of their debut extends beyond results. For a state that produced India’s first Olympic football captain, the club represents a long-awaited opportunity to turn a deep-rooted passion for the game into a sustained presence at the national level.
When the season begins on October 30, Nagaland United will not simply be starting their first IFL campaign. They will be carrying forward a legacy that began with Talimeren Ao and opening a new route for the next generation of footballers from the Naga Hills.
--IANS
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