Shillong, July 31: By Friday afternoon, the roads leading to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will begin filling long before kick-off. Some supporters will arrive in Shillong Lajong’s familiar red, others in the colours of Nongkseh Sports Social & Cultural Club. Tea stalls around Polo will buzz with predictions, fans will squeeze through the gates hoping for a glimpse of their footballing heroes, and another chapter in Meghalaya’s football story will be ready to unfold.
For most cities, hosting the Durand Cup is an event. For Shillong, where football is stitched into everyday life, it has become something of a tradition.
This year, however, feels different.
For the third consecutive season, Shillong will stage Durand Cup matches. But never before has the city been represented by three clubs in Asia’s oldest football tournament. Fittingly, that historic campaign begins with an all-Shillong derby as Shillong Lajong FC take on reigning Meghalaya State League champions Nongkseh SS&CC in the opening Group E fixture of 135th edition of Durand Cup.
It is a contest that brings together two clubs at very different stages of their journey.
Shillong Lajong arrive as the state’s most recognised football institution. Over the years, the club has produced players who have gone on to represent India and several of the country’s leading clubs. Having reached the semi-finals of the last two Durand Cup editions, their best performances in the tournament, the Reds return with one objective: to go one step further.
Across the halfway line will stand a club experiencing the biggest moment in its history.
Fresh from winning the Meghalaya State League, Nongkseh SS&CC are preparing for their first appearance in the Durand Cup. Their rise through the local circuit has been meteoric, and Friday offers an opportunity to test themselves against one of Indian football’s most established sides on a national stage.
Yet despite the contrast in experience, the teams are far from strangers.
Nongkseh defeated Shillong Lajong 2-1 to lift the 2025 SSA Champions Cup in December 2025, before following it up with a 2-0 victory and a 1-1 draw in this year’s Meghalaya State League in May this year. Those results, however, come with an important caveat. Shillong Lajong fielded its junior squads in those domestic competitions, while Friday’s Durand Cup opener is expected to be the first meeting between Nongkseh and the Reds’ senior side.
That alone adds another layer of intrigue to this growing local rivalry.
Inside the Shillong Lajong camp, expectations are impossible to ignore. Having fallen at the semi-final stage in each of the last two editions, head coach Birendra Thapa believes the time has come to challenge for the trophy itself.
“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 said.
Despite his side’s pedigree, Thapa expects anything but an easy start. “They (Nongkseh) are a good side. They’ve signed many good players from Shillong. It will be a tough match, but we are going all out.”
Confidence is equally evident in the Nongkseh dressing room.
Captain Hardy Cliff Nongbri knows Shillong Lajong perhaps better than anyone. Before leading Nongkseh, he captained the Reds during their memorable run to the Durand Cup semi-finals in 2024.
“Shillong Lajong is a very good team. I know them very well because they were my teammates,” he said.
Friendships and familiarity, though, will be forgotten once the match begins. “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.”
For Nongkseh head coach Joseph Naik, merely reaching the Durand Cup is not the end of the journey. “We’re grateful for this opportunity because the Durand Cup is such a prestigious tournament,” he said. “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.”
Although Friday’s fixture carries the label of a derby, it lacks the bitterness often associated with local rivalries. Many players know each other, some have even shared dressing rooms while others have competed against one another since their school days.
Shillong Lajong captain Kenstar Kharshong expects the occasion to showcase the quality of football that Meghalaya has become known for. “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.”
While players prepare for ninety minutes of football, dozens of others have spent weeks ensuring everything is ready behind the scenes.
For pitch curator Uttam Kalita, who has overseen the playing surface for every Durand Cup edition hosted in Shillong, each tournament brings renewed pride. “Whenever matches are held here, our enthusiasm increases. It’s our responsibility to make the ground look good, so we do everything we can,” he said.
As for predicting the winner, he remarks, “Both teams are good. We’ll know more after seeing their performance.”
Nearby, State Sports Council field officer Nicholas believes the tournament has become a showcase not only for local football but for Meghalaya’s ability to host major sporting events. “It’s good that tournaments like this happen here because this stadium is built for international matches,” he said. “Hopefully one of our local teams reaches the final.”
That optimism is shared by those working behind the scenes.
Smita Chettri, whose agency has managed operations for all three Durand Cup editions in Shillong, has watched the tournament grow year after year. “Every year the expectations are higher. This is our third year and people have seen how good the previous editions were.”
Even inside her own home, loyalties are divided. “My daughter is supporting Lajong,” she laughed. “I’m supporting Nongkseh because I used to play from that locality during my school days.”
Outside the stadium, the anticipation is equally palpable.
Some supporters believe Shillong Lajong’s experience on the national stage will prove decisive. Others are backing Nongkseh to continue the momentum that carried them to the Meghalaya State League title.
For regular spectator Vebanshar Kharkongor, however, the Durand Cup has always meant more than results. “It gives Khasi players a chance to play with the big teams. Football connects families and friends here.”
While he expects Shillong Lajong’s experience to make the difference, he also believes supporters are in for a memorable contest. “From the experience point of view, Shillong Lajong should win. But it will be a very good match.”
By the end of Friday night, one team will begin its Durand Cup campaign with three points while the other will be left searching for answers. Yet the bigger story extends beyond the result.
For the first time, three clubs from Meghalaya are competing in India’s oldest football tournament. The opening fixture belongs to Shillong itself, a city where football has never simply been a game, but a way of life.
And as two local clubs walk onto one of the country’s biggest stages together, that journey may prove every bit as significant as the final score.
