SFS Higher Secondary School, Medziphema, has departed for Bengaluru to represent Nagaland in the U-15 boys category of the prestigious 64th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament 2025.
The school earned the spot after winning the state-level Pre-Subroto cum Juniors Tournament, organised by the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, for two consecutive years—2024 and 2025. This marks the second consecutive year SFS Hr. Secondary School is representing the state in the Subroto Cup.
The team is led by manager Kenongoto, District Sports Officer, Longleng, and coach Menovilie.
SFS Hr Secondary School is among the few institutions in Nagaland with its own football academy. The SFS Football Academy is run by AFC and AIFF-licensed coaches and is registered under the Chumoukedima District Football Association, AFCAI, and the AIFF Blue Cubs programme.
In recognition of its grassroots football initiatives, the school was nominated as the best school during the 1st AFC-AIFF Grassroots Day (2023/2024)—the first school in Nagaland to receive such national-level recognition.
Coach Ciu Zashümo (AFC-C Licence) of the SFS Football Academy expressed gratitude to the Department of Youth Resources and Sports and the Nagaland Football Association for promoting grassroots football.
“We are just beginning, but hopefully in the coming years we will see our state shine in national tournaments with the right age-group players,” he said. Zashümo added that the academy places strong emphasis on foundation development. “If the foundation is strong, the player becomes more confident, which automatically enables them to adapt and progress in their career as footballers.”
He acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting that competing against physically stronger players from advanced academies will be tough. “However, we are glad our boys are exposed to such a big platform at an early age, as it builds their confidence and helps them identify areas where they need to improve for their future journey as footballers.”
The Subroto Cup 2025 kicked off in Delhi on August 19 with 106 teams vying for honours across three categories – junior boys (U17), junior girls (U17) and sub-junior boys (U15).
The 64th edition of the Subroto Cup will also feature four international schools from Sri Lanka and Nepal.
