Nagaland United Sports Club (NUSC) will make history on October 30 when it becomes the first team from Nagaland to compete in the Indian Football League (IFL), opening its maiden campaign against Real Kashmir FC in Srinagar. The landmark entry, announced at a press conference in Chümoukedima on October 22, is being hailed as a milestone for football in the state and a step towards taking Naga football aspirations to the national stage.
Addressing the media ahead of the IFL Trophy Tour and jersey launch at Zone Niathu, founding member Abu Metha said the club’s participation was an opportunity to promote Nagaland and its youth through sport. “We are not playing as a club, but we’re playing as a people,” he said, adding that the club hoped to tell positive stories about the Naga people and help local youth realise their aspirations.
NUSC secured its IFL place through the acquisition of Aizawl FC, a former I-League champion, in a deal approved by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The conventional route would require winning the state league and progressing through IFL Division 3 and Division 2, a process that could take years. Because the acquisition took time and the transfer window had closed by then, the squad currently comprises players registered under Aizawl FC, including several with previous IFL experience, alongside new signings from Nagaland.
Five players from Nagaland have been signed, with more local recruitment planned in subsequent transfer windows. Their participation, however, depends on completing the transition from amateur to professional registration, as several who featured in the Nagaland Super League were registered as amateurs. The club will also hold trials across the state, targeting players below 20 years of age, to develop future professional talent. “The aim is to create as many opportunities for Naga players as possible,” Metha said.
Preparation time is a major challenge. Delays in completing the acquisition and players’ commitments to the ongoing Mizoram Premier League mean the squad will have only five to six days of collective training before the opener. The team, currently training at Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima, will play a friendly against the Territorial Army on October 24 at 6:30 pm before departing for Srinagar.
NUSC will host 10 home matches at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium within the Chümoukedima Police Complex, with the first home fixture on November 14. The AIFF has inspected the venue, and the club has secured permission from the state government’s Department of Sports. Ten percent of home-match ticket sales will go to the Nagaland government’s sports development fund, with gallery tickets expected to cost Rs 299, excluding taxes and service charges. A media accreditation process has also been introduced for home matches.
The club has appointed AFC A-licensed coach Kaizad Ambapardiwalla, who led Jamshedpur FC at last year’s Durand Cup, as head coach, supported by physiotherapists, a strength and conditioning coach and a goalkeeper coach. Three official jerseys were unveiled at the trophy tour, attended by Tourism and Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along, club president John Longkumer and general secretary Lhouvi Punyu. Metha urged fans and the people of Nagaland to rally behind the team as it seeks to build a lasting pathway for Naga footballers into the professional game.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/nagaland-united-to-become-first-team-from-state-to-play-in-ifl
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Publish Date: 2026-10-22 23:14:00
