Indian Football League: Nagaland United open new chapter for football in the state

Nagaland United Sports Club will begin a new chapter in Indian football when they take on Real Kashmir in the opening match of the 2026-27 Indian Football League (IFL) season on October 30. The match will be played at the TRC Stadium in Srinagar.The club will become the first team from Nagaland to compete in the national league. Founded in 2024 in Chümoukedima, Nagaland United have reached this level in just two years, giving a state with a rich football history its long-awaited place in the competition.The club’s journey is also linked to Dr. Talimeren Ao, who captained independent India’s football team at the 1948 Olympic Games. Nearly eight decades after Ao led the country at the Olympics, Nagaland United will carry the state’s football hopes onto the national stage.From first match to national league in two yearsNagaland United played their first competitive match on January 28, 2025, against Barak FC. The game was the opening fixture at a newly opened stadium in Chümoukedima. The date was special because it would have been Ao’s 107th birthday.The team lost the match 2-3 but soon made their presence felt in the Nagaland Super League. They finished second among seven teams in the league phase, conceding only nine goals in 12 matches, and ended the season in third place overall.Forward Nisede Peseyie scored a hat-trick against 27 United and won one of the league’s individual awards. Head coach Khogen Singh was named coach of the season.Nagaland United added their first major trophy in October 2025 when they won the NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy in Kohima. They recorded wins by 7-0, 2-1 and 4-0 in the knockout rounds before beating Chedema Village Youth Organisation 3-1 in the final on October 18.Arap Konyak, Joel Haokip and Manton Konyak scored in the final. The club also won the player of the tournament, best goalkeeper and best defender awards, while Singh was once again named the best coach.Talimeren Ao: The man who put Indian football on the Olympic stageThe story of football in Nagaland goes back to Ao, whose early days in the game were far removed from the modern facilities available to players today.He began playing football on the mission playground at Impur in the Naga Hills. Children played barefoot, using balls made from rags, woven cane or even pomelos.Ao’s father, the first Reverend in the Naga Hills, died of typhoid before his son reached his late teens. He had wanted Ao to become a doctor and serve the Naga people.Ao fulfilled that wish by practising medicine, but he also went on to make history in football.On July 31, 1948, he captained India in the country’s first Olympic football match as an independent nation. India faced France at Cricklefield Stadium in Ilford, east London, and lost 1-2 after conceding a goal in the final minute. Eight Indian players played without boots.When asked about playing barefoot, Ao famously replied: “We play football in India, whereas you play bootball.”After returning to India, Ao continued his medical career and became Nagaland’s first Director of Health Services. His legacy remains important in a state where football is closely connected to community life.“Football in Nagaland is more than just a sport,” says coach Kivilu Kiba.‘We do not have the time’Despite the state's love for football, no club from Nagaland had played in the national league before Nagaland United's entry. The club's leadership felt that waiting to move up through the lower divisions would take too long.“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 secured their place in the IFL through a goodwill agreement with Aizawl FC of Mizoram. Aizawl had made history in 2017 by becoming the first team from the Northeast to win the national league. They secured 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 connection between the clubs grew stronger in June 2026, when Aizawl visited Nagaland for a match under the Football for Peace initiative. The fixture, held in Chümoukedima on June 6, was called “Match for Peace, Goal for Hope”. Tickets cost Rs 20, and the proceeds went to an orphanage. Aizawl won the match 2-0.Aizawl owner Robert R. Royte later backed Nagaland’s efforts to gain representation in the national league.On September 9, the All India Football Federation approved a goodwill agreement that allowed Nagaland United to take Aizawl’s place in the IFL. Aizawl also agreed to provide technical and development support to the Nagaland club.Aizawl had spent 11 consecutive seasons in the national league without relegation. The club will now continue to play in the Mizoram Premier League.The fixture schedule has added another link between the two teams. Nagaland United will travel to Shillong on November 25, the city where Aizawl won their historic title, before visiting Aizawl on December 7.Local players remain a priorityWith their first IFL season approaching, Nagaland United have been working to build a team and support staff capable of handling the demands of national-level football.The club advertised for coaches and support staff and received hundreds of applications. Candidates applied from countries including Argentina, Spain and Brazil.Although Nagaland United have inherited a squad and staff with experience of the national league, developing local footballers remains a key goal.This was highlighted on October 17, when 20-year-old central midfielder Ghuqhe Chishi and Vinato Achumi were recognised after being selected to represent the club in the IFL. Both players have come through Nagaland’s under-20 teams.The club now faces a demanding season. Coordinator Gentleson Vashum said the team would play 20 league matches, with 10 at home and 10 away.Plans are also in place to install FIFA-approved artificial turf at Chümoukedima, which would help the club prepare for the demands of the competition.Nagaland United want to become a symbol of the state across India and beyond. More importantly, they hope their presence in the IFL will give local footballers a clearer path to the national level.“Whenever you enter any arena,” Metha says, “you enter to win.”K. Neibou Sekhose, president of the Nagaland Football Association, has called the club’s entry into the IFL a historic moment. He has also stressed that this is only the beginning of the state’s ambitions in football.Bringing national-league football homeNagaland United will play their first home match in the IFL against Gokulam Kerala on November 14 in Chümoukedima. It is the same venue where they played their first competitive match in January 2025.Dempo are scheduled to visit later in November, while Mohammedan Sporting will arrive on December 19.The 2026-27 IFL season will return to a full home-and-away format, giving Nagaland United the chance to bring national-league football to their home state throughout the campaign.The league has also reported a sharp increase in television viewership, with last season’s audience four times that of the previous season.Nagaland United have appealed to Naga communities living across India, particularly students, to support the team during away matches. Their opening game in Srinagar will be the first opportunity for supporters living far from home to get behind the club.A new chapter in Nagaland footballNagaland United’s rise from a club founded in 2024 to a place in the national league has been quick. But their debut means more than simply competing for points and victories.For a state that produced India’s first Olympic football captain, the club offers a long-awaited chance to turn its passion for the game into a lasting presence in Indian football.When the IFL season begins on October 30, Nagaland United will take the field for their first national-league campaign. They will also carry forward the legacy of Talimeren Ao and aim to create new opportunities for the next generation of footballers from the Naga Hills.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.