Less than five minutes into the October 19 match between the Zunheboto District Football Association (ZDFA) and the Mon District Football Association (MDFA) at the 25th Silver Jubilee Edition of the Dr T Ao Inter-District Football Trophy 2026, Zunheboto players stopped actively contesting play, allowing Mon to score twice in what appeared to be a protest over the enforcement of player-registration requirements.
The match was halted for several minutes before resuming following discussions on the sidelines.
The incident brought into focus the challenges surrounding the implementation of the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Centralized Registration System (CRS) and Competition Management System (CMS), and raised questions about how the requirements were communicated to participating district teams.
Tournament guidelines required all participating district teams to register their players under CRS by September 30. However, Kiyeka S Sumi, chair of the CRS and CMS Committee of the Nagaland Football Association (NFA), told MT that the deadline was extended to October 7, as only six district teams would have been able to participate had the original deadline been enforced.
Despite the extension, several districts were unable to complete the registration process, with some player applications still awaiting approval from the AIFF.
The NFA subsequently allowed teams with incomplete CRS registrations to participate so that all districts could take part in the tournament and players would not lose the opportunity to compete. Teams with incomplete registrations were permitted to play in the second round, including Zunheboto.
According to information received by MT, a meeting was held on October 17 at noon with team management, coaches and technical personnel. Representatives of other district football associations told MT that they were informed during the meeting that CRS requirements would be strictly enforced from the third round, with a reported requirement that at least 18 players from each team be registered under the system.
MT could not independently confirm whether CRS requirements were included in the formal agenda of the October 17 meeting or whether the information was communicated to every participating district team.
On October 18, several district football associations, including those from Kohima, Chümoukedima, Phek and Wokha, submitted written complaints to the NFA, alleging inconsistent enforcement of the registration requirements. They argued that players without approved CRS registrations from some districts had been allowed to play, while players in similar circumstances from other districts had been sent back. The associations in their statements called for uniform enforcement and threatened to withdraw from the tournament.
Sources told MT that, during a meeting on the night of October 18, the NFA considered the difficulties teams faced in meeting an 18-player registration threshold and settled on a minimum of seven registered players. However, the numerical threshold could not be independently verified from the NFA’s written resolution issued the following day.
Zunheboto says it received information at the last minute
ZDFA president Inoka told MT that the association was informed shortly before its scheduled match on October 19 that players without AIFF-approved CRS registrations would not be allowed to play.
“I was told the information we received was at the eleventh hour, so the boys panicked,” he said.
Inoka said Zunheboto had 11 players with CRS registrations, while another 11 players’ applications were pending AIFF approval.
Asked why the association was unaware of the reported decision taken at the October 17 meeting, Inoka said he had been told that the meeting was about changes to match timings.
“I was told that there was a meeting on Saturday at 12 O’clock regarding ‘time changes’. That was on the agenda and we had a match at 12:30 pm against Dimapur,” he said.
According to Inoka, the team manager and coaches attended the meeting and agreed to the timing changes before returning to the players ahead of their scheduled match.
“At that time, the DFAs were reportedly asked if there were any grievances, but we had a game to play at 12:30 pm, so the coach and manager went out and they said they were not aware of the CRS conversation held on Saturday,” he said.
Inoka said the team became aware of the reported seven-player concession at around 10 am on October 19, when players arrived ahead of their scheduled 10:30 am match.
“I was told that it was only at 10:00 am, when the players came to play for their 10:30 am match, they were made aware,” he said.
He said the players were reluctant to take the field and initially refused to play.
The ZDFA president subsequently contacted the NFA, MDFA and organizing committee and apologized for the disruption. He added that they did not want to “hamper the celebration of such a coveted trophy jubilee”.
“We look forward to the new game,” Inoka said.
On the registration issue, he added: “We have been trying for the CRS, but it is pending on the AIFF portal and hence the problem.”
NFA cites miscommunication
NFA officials Sumi and vice-president Meyisanger Lemtur told MT that the incident arose from ‘sort of a miscommunication’ between the ZDFA and its players. They said the misunderstandings were cleared during discussions on the sidelines after the match was halted, allowing play to resume.
Sumi added that the NFA remained in communication with the ZDFA.
NFA officials said the association had to consider the circumstances surrounding pending AIFF registrations, with the Durga Puja break also playing a significant role in the difficulties faced by teams completing the process.
NFA resolution sets requirements from third round
Following the commotion, the NFA issued an official communication on October 19 outlining a resolution adopted by its Executive Body on October 18. The communication acknowledged the difficulties associated with adapting to CRS and CMS while reaffirming the association’s commitment to implementing the systems.
The written resolution granted teams with pending CRS/CMS cases a grace period until the conclusion of their respective second group matches. From the third group match onwards, only players whose registrations had been approved by the AIFF under CRS/CMS would be eligible to play.
It further stated that players whose registration, renewal or transfer applications were awaiting final AIFF approval could not be fielded until their cases were approved. Teams that failed to meet the requisite minimum number of duly registered players to start a match would be deemed disqualified.
The resolution, signed by NFA General Secretary Benei M Lamthiu and President K Neibou Sekhose, does not specify the numerical minimum of registered players required to start a match. The reported change from an 18-player requirement to a seven-player threshold could therefore not be established from the written document.
It may be noted that, as per FIFA Law 3 Section 1, the numerical minimum of registered players required to start a match is 7 players per team, including at least one designated goalkeeper. A match may not start or continue if either team has fewer than seven players.
The NFA resolution also stated that the special concession did not give teams the right to alter their final squad lists. Players whose registrations remained pending would become eligible only after receiving AIFF approval.
Describing CRS and CMS as digital systems for managing and tracking players, clubs and tournaments, the NFA said the systems were being adopted for all major tournaments conducted under the state association.