Deepak Singh
Shillong, Aug 6: Langsning FC may have announced themselves on the national stage with a resounding 5-0 victory over Mumbay FC in their opening match of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup, but there remains one hurdle they are desperate to overcome.
That hurdle is Nongkseh Sports Social & Cultural Club.
Twice in recent months, Nongkseh have denied Langsning on the biggest stages of Meghalaya football. They edged the defending Shillong Premier League (SPL) champions in the semi-finals of the 2025 SSA Champions Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout before defeating them 2-1 in the final of the 5th Meghalaya State League (MSL).
On Thursday evening, the two rivals will meet once again in a crucial Group E clash of the Durand Cup, with qualification hopes and local pride both on the line.
For Langsning FC Chief Executive Officer Bankit Pakyntein, the aim is clear – no more on the losing side.
“Obviously, we’ve played twice against them,” Pakyntein said. “Once in the semi-final of the SSA Champions Cup, where we lost on penalties. The second game was the final of the Meghalaya State League.”
“It would be quite a story if we win this game. We definitely want to win. We don’t want to be on the losing side anymore,” he told Meghalaya Sports.
The recent head-to-head record may favour Nongkseh, but Pakyntein believes Thursday’s contest will be a very different proposition.
Ahead of the Durand Cup, Langsning reinforced their squad with 10 new signings in a bid to compete at a higher level, while Nongkseh also strengthened by bringing in six new players.
The result, Pakyntein believes, is two teams that bear little resemblance to those that contested the state competitions earlier this year.
Langsning’s new-look squad has already shown its potential.
After a frustrating first half against Mumbay FC in their tournament opener, the Shillong club exploded into life after the break, scoring five goals to register one of the biggest victories in the competition so far.
Pakyntein admitted there were moments when he feared his side would again fail to translate promising performances in training into results on the pitch.
“I was a little nervous during the first half because we had been playing very well in training but we weren’t getting the rewards,” he said. “Then in the second half we finally showed the fruits of all those practice sessions.”
That performance has given the squad renewed confidence heading into Thursday’s showdown.
Still, Pakyntein is determined that his players do not become complacent after one impressive result.
“First and foremost, we have to focus on ourselves,” he said. “We mustn’t be carried away. We have to keep the same intensity and the same tempo, play without fear and carry the confidence and momentum from the first game into the next one.”
“If we play like that against Nongkseh, I think we can beat them.”
Victory would not only end Langsning’s recent frustrations against their state rivals but also take them to six points, placing them in a commanding position to qualify for the knockout stage.
“It would mean so much to us,” Pakyntein said. “We really want to push the team to win.”
Despite the growing rivalry, Pakyntein was quick to stress that the fierce competition remains confined to the football pitch.
“I don’t really have a message for Nongkseh,” he said with a smile. “I just wish them all the best.”
“They’re a Shillong team as well. Yes, we’ve become rivals on the ground, but outside the ground we’re all from the same part of India. We love one another.”
Instead of allowing the rivalry to breed hostility, Pakyntein believes it is helping raise the standard of football in Meghalaya.
“We want to compete against each other because that’s how we become better,” he said.
That belief extends beyond Thursday’s result. Pakyntein sees clubs like Langsning and Nongkseh as part of a bigger wave that is putting Meghalaya football firmly on the national map, joining their “big brother” Shillong Lajong, which has been the face of Meghalaya football for the longest time.
For now, though, Langsning’s focus is fixed on a far more immediate challenge. The opportunity to finally overcome the one opponent that has repeatedly stood in their way.
