Deepak Singh
Shillong, Aug 6: Few rivalries in Meghalaya football have developed as rapidly as the one between Nongkseh Sports Social & Cultural Club and Langsning FC. Nongkseh have twice denied Langsning in recent months – first in the semi-finals of the SSA Champions Cup 2025 and then in the final of the 5th Meghalaya State League. On Thursday evening, the two sides will meet for the third time in just months, but this time on a much bigger stage as they face off in a crucial Group E clash of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Unlike their previous meetings, however, Thursday’s contest carries far greater significance. It is no longer about local trophies but a place in the knockout stage of India’s oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament.
In the state-level tournaments, Nongkseh have enjoyed the upper hand so far. They edged Langsning in the semi-finals of the 2025 SSA Champions Cup after a dramatic 2-2 draw was decided 4-3 on penalties before defeating the same opponents 2-1 in the final of the 5th Meghalaya State League to lift the title.
Those victories will undoubtedly give Nongkseh confidence, but recent form suggests Langsning enter Thursday’s clash with the momentum.
The defending Shillong Premier League (SPL) champions opened their Durand Cup campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 5-0 victory over Mumbay FC, a result that placed them at the top of Group E with three points and a healthy goal difference of +5.
Nongkseh, meanwhile, were beaten 2-0 by Shillong Lajong FC in their tournament debut despite producing encouraging spells against the experienced I-League side.
The contrasting starts have raised the stakes considerably.
A second successive victory would put Langsning on six points and leave them on the verge of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Even if they fail to finish top of the group, another positive result would strengthen their chances of progressing as one of the tournament’s two best runners-up.
For Nongkseh, however, the equation is much simpler.
Having started with defeat, another loss would leave the Meghalaya State League champions facing an early exit. Victory, on the other hand, would throw Group E wide open and revive their hopes ahead of their final group match against Mumbay FC. Even a draw would leave Nongkseh with work to do, likely requiring a convincing result in their final fixture while hoping other results go in their favour.
However, it would be unwise to read too much into those earlier results.
The Langsning side that Nongkseh defeated in those two state-level competitions is no longer the same outfit. Ahead of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup, Langsning bolstered their squad with as many as 10 new signings, while Nongkseh also recruited six players to strengthen their ranks.
With both teams expected to field vastly different line-ups from those that met in the Meghalaya State League and SSA Champions Cup, previous results may offer little indication of what lies ahead.
With local pride, knockout qualification and recent history all on the line, the latest chapter of this growing rivalry promises to be one of the fiercest and most thrilling fixtures of the group stage.
