In a significant milestone for football development in Nagaland, Neithovilie Chalieü and Lavoryi Theluo have successfully completed and cleared the AFC Goalkeeping Level 1 Coaching Course, held last month in Krishna Nagar, West Bengal. With this, they have become the first AIFF-certified goalkeeping coaches from the state.
The six-day course was conducted by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in collaboration with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It included modules on advanced technical and tactical aspects of goalkeeper coaching, covering areas such as positioning, handling, footwork, distribution, and match analysis.
Participants were assessed through two practical sessions and one written examination.
Both Chalieü and Theluo trained under Coach Rajat Guha, a leading AIFF instructor, former goalkeeping coach of the Indian Women’s National Team, and currently the first goalkeeping coach of Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC.
Speaking after the certification, Lavoryi Theluo said, “As the only certified goalkeeping coaches in our state, we hope our achievement inspires more coaches to pursue excellence and collaborate for the development of football in Nagaland and beyond.”
Neithovilie Chalieü is a former I-League goalkeeper for Shillong Lajong FC. Born in Tsiepama village, Dimapur, he previously captained the club’s U-18 team to a national youth league title, represented the state in national-level competitions, and was named Best Goalkeeper in the Shillong Premier League. He is currently an AFC C Licence coach, assistant coach of Red Scars FC, and founder of Medziphema Football Academy.
Lavoryi Theluo, from Phusachodu village in Phek district, is an AFC B Licence coach and former head coach of 27 United FC. He previously served as coach at Minerva Punjab FC under a two-year contract and has also coached at the ACI Football Academy in Manipur. As a player, he represented Nagaland in the Santosh Trophy and has contributed significantly to the state’s football development initiatives. He was among those who publicly praised the impact of the 2025 Nagaland Super League, calling it the beginning of a new era for the sport in the state.