Semi-final run puts grassroots football and youth development in focus
Arenjungla Kichu Mokokchung | 26 October
Zunheboto District Football Association (ZDFA) has reached the semi-finals of the 25th Dr T Ao Inter-District Football Trophy for the first time, emerging as a dark horse in a campaign that has exceeded the team’s own expectations and brought attention to the district’s grassroots football development.
Assistant coach Akivi G Jimo said reaching the quarter-finals had been the initial target, given the team’s previous struggles at the knockout stage.
“Our plan was not to win the tournament. Our plan was to be in the quarter-final because our setback was always on the knockout stage,” Jimo told MT.
He admitted that despite trusting his players, he had doubts about how far the team could progress.
“People didn’t trust us at all. I was trusting the boys, but I had my doubts,” he said.
The team began to find its rhythm and believe in itself after arriving at the tournament in Mokokchung, Jimo said.
“After only coming to Dr T Ao, we started clicking and started believing on the team,” he said.
With most of the squad aged between 16 and 19, Jimo said the team had not expected to reach this stage so soon and had thought greater success might come the following year or later.
Their group featured Mon, Noklak, Dimapur and Kiphire, with Mon and Dimapur considered people’s favourites in the group, according to Jimo. He said the team assessed its opponents match by match and grew more confident as the tournament progressed.
“But after match by match, we started analysing, and once we reached the quarter-finals, we started thriving for the success,” he said.
Setbacks before the breakthrough
The progress came despite difficulties during preparations. Jimo said the team had been training and playing friendly matches, but the coach was away participating in Khelo India during the training period, leaving him with only a few days to train the players.
The association also had to make last-minute changes to its squad. According to Jimo, two players had to be dropped after being selected for the Indian Football League (IFL), while another was found to be only 15, below the tournament’s age limit.
ZDFA then had to scout three replacements at short notice. Jimo said the players the association wanted had not been selected for Peren, allowing Zunheboto to bring them into its squad.
Despite the disruption, Jimo said the team’s strength lay in the trust shared among the players and coaching staff, including those who began matches on the bench.
“The biggest strength in our team is, we trust all our eleven players including our bench and we believe that once a player from our bench goes in, they will do something,” he said.
Jimo said the association had initially built the team around a longer-term plan rather than an expectation of winning the trophy this year.
“This year, we are playing good, but something was missing. Therefore, we structured our team in such a way that it should be a five-year plan, a six-year plan. By the time it comes, we are going to be the champions; maybe in two, three, four years,” he said.
Building from the grassroots
The longer-term plan reflects the association’s efforts to strengthen its grassroots structure and create more opportunities for young footballers.
Jimo said the need to build from the grassroots had become clearer following last year’s tournament.
“Since last year’s tournament, we have been discussing that we have to start from the grassroots to build a team,” he said.
He credited MLA Toiho Yeptho, former chairman of the District Planning and Development Board (DPDB), with providing young players a platform through U-23 football.
Team manager Hokato Yeptho said the association organised an intra-district U-23 tournament this year, from which younger players were selected for the Dr T Ao Trophy squad.
“This year, we had an intra-district U-23 from where we picked up the young boys. This year’s squad, we have 12 new players and 10 senior players,” Hokato said.
Another significant development, Hokato said, was the association’s access to six AIFF D-License-holder coaches through Keyika Sumi, senior vice-president of the Nagaland Football Association (NFA).
“We really thank Sir Keyika Sumi, senior vice-president, NFA, because through him, we have the opportunity to have six AIFF D-License-holder coaches and through them we have the energy to build a team. That was the turning point for ZDFA,” he said.
Jimo said Zunheboto has seven blocks, each with its own football tournaments, and that access to qualified coaches had provided the resources needed to further develop the district’s football talent.
Football culture, but limited infrastructure
Despite the interest in football and the growing pool of young players, both officials pointed to infrastructure as a major constraint on the district’s development.
Jimo said Zunheboto already had a strong football culture, but young players had not always had sufficient opportunities to develop their abilities.
“The football culture in Zunheboto is next level. It’s just the platform was never there because we did not have ample opportunities for the youngsters. The hunger was there, the desire was there and the discipline was there, but the opportunity was missing,” he said.
Hokato said the district faced disadvantages compared with others because of inadequate facilities.
“We have a lot of setbacks comparing to other districts. We don’t have proper infrastructure, turf. The ground which we use is our local ground. We face lots of difficulties for football,” he said.
He said interest among younger generations remained strong, but better facilities could help the association take its development efforts further.
“If the government gave us the opportunity to have an Astro Turf, that will be next level for Zunheboto District Football Association,” Hokato said.
The 22-member squad reflects the spread of football talent across the district. Hokato said around eight players were from Pughoboto and six from Satakha, while others came from areas including Akuluto and Atoizu. He also mentioned three players from Peren district.
Jimo said many players from Zunheboto had been selected for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) academy at the ages of 11 or 12. They trained in Dimapur and, if they showed promise, could be sent to other states for further opportunities.
“Our players are inhabitants of Zunheboto, but they are given opportunity in different clubs in different places,” he said.
Looking beyond the Dr T Ao Trophy
For ZDFA, the aim is not simply to compete in the Dr T Ao Trophy but to help players progress to higher levels of the game.
Jimo said he wanted the tournament to serve as a stepping stone rather than the end of a player’s football journey.
“Our vision is also that it should not be about just playing Dr T Ao, go back home and get on with their lives, but after the tournament, they can go for higher football and achieve higher,” he said.
Hokato said the association wanted younger players to see football as a pathway they could pursue, pointing to Vinato and Chishi, whom he said had been selected for the IFL.
“We are taking football seriously because we want to tell the children that if two of our players — Vinato and Chishi — got selected for IFL, then they can be too,” he said.
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As Zunheboto prepares to face Tuensang in the semi-final on October 27, Hokato said the team’s focus remained firmly on winning the trophy.
“In our head, we only have to win and to become champions,” he said.
He said supporters back home were excited about the team’s progress and were preparing to travel to Mokokchung to support the players.
“Back in our hometown, Zunheboto, everyone is excited and they are ready to rock at Mokokchung tomorrow evening. Around thousands of supporters are coming from Zunheboto. Our boys are all fit and I hope we win,” Hokato said.
The semi-final between Zunheboto, coached by Shaswanth M, and Tuensang, coached by Joel William, is scheduled for October 27 at Renpo Lu Sports Complex, Ungma. The winner will join defending champions Mon in the final on October 29.
