When Nagaland United Sports Club plays Real Kashmir in their maiden national league game at Srinagar’s TRC Stadium on October 30, they will carry on the legacy of the nation’s first national team captain, Talimeren Ao, into the Indian Football League.
This will end the state’s 78-year wait for a club at that level. Nagaland United, which was founded in Chumoukedima in 2024, has chosen an unusual path to the national league. On September 9, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) accepted a goodwill deal that secured Aizawl FC’s spot, with the Mizoram club offering technical and development help.
Nagaland United Sports Club To Face Real Kashmir
The club’s entrance into the IFL is both a historic accomplishment and a chance to provide a pathway for local talent for a state whose footballing heritage is entwined with Ao, who captained independent India at the 1948 Olympics. On January 28, 2025, which would have been Ao’s 107th birthday, Nagaland United played their first competitive game and lost 2-3 against Barak FC on the day Chumoukedima’s new stadium opened.
After giving up nine goals in 12 games, they finished second out of seven teams in the league phase before finishing third in the postseason. Khogen Singh was named coach of the season, and Nisede Peseyie scored a hat-trick against 27 United.
The team defeated Chedema Village Youth Organisation 3-1 in the NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy final on October 18, 2025, to win its first trophy.
Manton Konyak, Joel Haokip, and Arap Konyak all scored in the championship game. The team also took home the trophies for best defender, best goalie, and player of the tournament. Once more, Khogen Singh was declared the top coach.
The significance of football in Nagaland, where communities have their own fields and the game has a strong grassroots fan base, is the reason for the rush to make it to the national scene.
Growing up, Ao played football on a mission ground in Impur, Naga Hills, using homemade balls made of rags, woven cane, or a heavy pomelo. On July 31, 1948, he captained India against France at Cricklefield Stadium in Ilford, East London, in the country’s first Olympic football match.