6th Mokokchung Inter-Ward Football Tournament 2025 final today

Dilong and Sangtemla clash for local football glory

The grand finale of the 6th Mokokchung Inter-Ward Football Tournament 2025 will be played on Saturday at Imkongmeren Sports Complex, kicking off at 2:00 pm between Dilong Ward and Sangtemla Ward.

This year, 13 out of 18 wards of Mokokchung town competed in the tournament, with Dilong and Sangtemla as the only two remaining teams.

A total of 22 matches have been played leading up to the final in this tournament, which began on March 25. A total of 50 goals have been scored across all matches. The tournament has also witnessed two hat-tricks and one four-goal haul.

The current edition has been one of the most competitive, with almost all matches being closely contested.

Three of the six matches in the knockout stage were decided through tiebreakers, highlighting the competitiveness of the teams.

Dilong’s path to the final has been nothing short of dramatic, securing their place with back-to-back penalty shootout victories—over Tongdentsuyong in the quarterfinals and Mongsenbai Ward in the semifinals—with goalkeeper Imtisashi emerging as the hero on both occasions.

Dilong has played four matches before the final, scoring four goals and conceding two.

The 2023 champions Sangtemla, on the other hand, have been more clinical, netting six goals while conceding just two.

The final promises to be an enthralling contest, with Sangtemla eyeing their second title and Dilong aiming to etch their name in tournament history as first-time champions. A Sangtemla victory would see them join Arkong as the only teams to have won the trophy twice, while a Dilong triumph would introduce a new champion— the fifth different champion in six editions.

Both teams are equally balanced. Four players from Sangtemla have scored in the tournament, while three have scored for Dilong.

If the final goes to penalties, Dilong might have the edge, given their experience in high-pressure shootouts. However, Sangtemla also showed composure in their quarterfinal tie-breaker, where all five of their takers converted.

Ultimately, teamwork wins, but if individual brilliance is to be accounted for, Sangtemla would depend on their veteran playmaker R Achi to not only control the midfield but also score goals. Their forward Meyasenba, who scored twice in their opening match against Arkong but has been off the mark since, must also deliver. Meanwhile, Dilong goalkeeper Imtisashi will hope that their strikers, led by Takutoba, do the job so that he won’t have to singlehandedly take his team over the line once again.

As for the leading scorer of the tournament, last year’s top scorer Tarepnungsang of Sungkomen is leading the current edition too, with six goals. R Achi and Meyasenba of Sangtemla, and Takutoba of Dilong, have two goals each to their names, but it looks unlikely that any of them will surpass Tarepnungsang when they play in the final.

The champions will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000, along with a trophy and certificate, while the runner-up will be awarded Rs 30,000. Additionally, four individual awards will be presented, each carrying a cash prize of Rs 2,000 and a certificate.

MT