Shillong derby marks new chapter as three Meghalaya clubs chase Durand Cup dream

Shillong Lajong and debutants Nongkseh SS&CC kick off the 135th Durand Cup campaign in a historic Shillong derby as Meghalaya celebrates an unprecedented three local clubs in the tournament, highlighting the state's growing stature in Indian football.

Hyderabad: On most evenings in Shillong, football is simply part of everyday life. It spills onto school grounds, neighbourhood pitches and roadside conversations. Children finish classes only to rush to the nearest field, while older fans debate line-ups over cups of tea. Here, football is not an event. It is routine.

On July 31, however, Shillong’s football story splits into two dreams. One belongs to a club determined to finish what it started. The other belongs to a club taking its first steps on India’s oldest football stage.

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When Shillong Lajong FC walk onto the pitch at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to face Nongkseh Sports & Social Cultural Club (SS&CC), it will not merely mark the opening fixture of Group E of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup. It will also usher in another chapter in Meghalaya’s remarkable football story.

For the third consecutive year, Shillong hosts the Durand Cup, but never before has the city witnessed three of its own clubs competing in Asia’s oldest football tournament. And fittingly, the campaign begins with a local derby between the region’s most established professional club and its newest challenger.

One dream is built on years of tradition and the pursuit of an elusive Durand Cup title. The other is fuelled by the excitement of a first appearance and the belief that every established club was once a debutant. Together, they represent just how far Meghalaya football has come.

Shillong Lajong hardly needs an introduction. Over the years, the club has become the standard-bearer of football in the state, producing generations of players who have gone on to represent clubs across the country as well as the Indian national team.

Having reached the Durand Cup semi-finals in each of the last two editions – their best-ever finish – the Reds return with unfinished business.

Head coach Birendra Thapa, who guided Lajong to that memorable run, knows expectations are different this time. “Every tournament you play, you don’t play just to please the people and the fans. You want to win. You want to reach the final and lift the championship. Last time we lost in the semi-final. This time we want to reach the final and win it,” he says.

Yet, despite Lajong’s experience, Thapa isn’t expecting an easy evening. “They are a good side. They’ve signed many good players from Shillong. It will be a tough match, but we are going all out.”

Across the dressing room, the mood is equally confident. For Nongkseh SS&CC, tomorrow is the biggest day in the club’s history.

Fresh from winning the Meghalaya State League, the club now steps onto a national stage for the very first time. The badge may be making its Durand Cup debut, but several players have experienced the tournament before, including captain Hardy Cliff Nongbri, who ironically returns to face his former club. He was the captain of the Shillong Lajong side that reached the semifinals in the 133rd edition.

“Shillong Lajong is a very good team. I know them very well because they were my teammates,” Nongbri says.

But nostalgia will end with the first whistle.

“We have experienced players, players who have played in the I-League and ISL. We also have a good combination of juniors and seniors. We’ll give our best and we’ll try to win.”

His words capture the quiet confidence that has accompanied Nongkseh’s remarkable rise. They are no longer content being labelled underdogs.

Head coach Joseph Naik believes his players have earned the right to be here. “We’re grateful for this opportunity because the Durand Cup is such a prestigious tournament,” he says. “We respect Shillong Lajong, they’ve been an important figure in Indian football. But we’ve been working very hard, and now it’s our time to get the job done.”

Perhaps what makes this fixture unique is that there is no hostility between the two sides. Many players know each other. Some have shared dressing rooms. Others have competed against one another since their school days.

The rivalry is local. The respect is mutual.

Shillong Lajong captain Kenstar Kharshong expects exactly the kind of contest Meghalaya football deserves. “They have some good and experienced players. I think it will be a very good match. I hope the supporters come and enjoy watching it.”

If the players provide the spectacle, countless others have quietly spent weeks preparing the stage.

Around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, final touches continue long after training sessions conclude.

For Uttam Kalita, the pitch curator who has prepared the surface for all three Durand Cup editions in Shillong, every tournament carries fresh excitement. “Whenever matches are held here, our enthusiasm increases. It’s our responsibility to make the ground look good, so we do everything we can.”

Even he refuses to predict tomorrow’s winner. “Both teams are good. We’ll know more after seeing their performance.”

Nearby, Nicholas, the State Sports Council’s field officer, watches preparations with satisfaction. “It’s good that tournaments like this happen here because this stadium is built for international matches,” he says.

His only prediction comes from the heart. “Hopefully one of our local teams reaches the final.”

Behind the scenes, local organisers have also watched the tournament grow year after year.

For Smita Chettri, whose agency has worked on all three editions in Shillong, expectations have only increased. “Every year the expectations are higher. This is our third year and people have seen how good the previous editions were.”

Like many in Shillong, even football loyalties divide households. “My daughter is supporting Lajong,” she laughs. “I’m supporting Nongkseh because I used to play from that locality during my school days.” Ultimately, though, her wish mirrors that of every football fan in Meghalaya. “We hope one of our teams reaches the final.”

Outside the stadium gates, supporters have already made up their minds. Some back to Shillong Lajong’s experience. Others believe the State champions can script history.

One young supporter, Vebanshar Kharkongor, has attended most of the Durand Cup’s major matches in Shillong and believes the tournament has become much more than football.

“It gives Khasi players a chance to play with the big teams. Football connects families and friends here.” His heart, however, remains firmly with the Reds. “From the experience point of view, Shillong Lajong should win. But it will be a very good match.”

Even a young girl at the nearby Shillong Sports Association ground politely declined an interview not because she lacked opinions, but because she feared speaking before kick-off might jinx her beloved Shillong Lajong.

Perhaps that says more about football in Shillong than any statistic ever could.

Tomorrow’s contest is not simply about three points or an early advantage in Group E. It is about a club defending its place among the country’s best. It is about another one announcing its arrival. It is about a city that has embraced the Durand Cup and now finds itself represented by three local clubs on one of Indian football’s biggest stages.

Tomorrow night, probably one team will leave with three points. But long before the final whistle, both dreams will already have shared the same stage. One chasing history. The other begins it. And for Meghalaya football, that may be the biggest victory of all.