“We are feeling overwhelmed” says MDFA Coach Ating Konyak
After a thrilling 3–1 victory over Dimapur, Mon has secured their place in the semi-finals of the ongoing Dr T Ao Trophy.
The match saw intense action from the start, with Mon’s Amun opening the scoring in the 28th minute. In the second half, Manton extended Mon’s lead in the 73rd minute. Dimapur responded quickly when Imkongnungsang scored in the 78th minute, but Mon sealed the win three minutes later through Manyem’s powerful strike.
Speaking after the match, Mon District Football Association coach Ating Konyak expressed his joy and relief. “We are feeling overwhelmed. We lost last year at the semi-finals in Tuensang, and also during the trophy at Mokokchung, we lost to Dimapur in the finals. So, I have been encouraging the players, and now winning with a 3–1 scoreline is huge,” he said.
Mon football fans have already made their mark in the tournament with their passionate support. Over the past few years, the district has been steadily strengthening its football scene. “Football is in our veins. Mon is a very huge district so every time we used to hold area tournaments as well and even during those times, the crowds are huge and people are passionate about it. But now, all the villages have gathered to support one team in the form of Mon District, so the crowd is really strong,” Konyak said.
According to him, it was in Mokokchung in 2023 that Mon reached the semi-finals for the first time, an achievement that ignited a new wave of enthusiasm. “When we played in Mokokchung for the finals, there was a huge fanbase and somehow, the passion and inspiration got ignited to do ourselves better,” he recalled.
Such is the support that fans from as far as Tizit have already started arriving in Kohima to witness the semi-final. Konyak believes Mon’s football future could be bright with proper academies and training facilities.
Mon will now face either Peren or Mokokchung, depending on the outcome of their quarter-final clash. “They are both good teams. We have not taken it easy. We have lost to Peren last year in Tuensang. Both the teams are strong if they are in the semi-finalist and we are preparing well,” Konyak added.
It may be recalled that Mon suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Peren in the second semifinal of the 2024 edition. They led 1-0 at half-time, but Peren equalized in the second half and scored the winner in stoppage time. (Read match report here)
In the 2022 edition played in Mokokchung, Mon lost to Dimapur in the final, which was also the first and only time they had ever reached the final. Dimapur won their third title without conceding a single goal throughout the tournament. (Read match report here)
This time, Mon knocked out Dimapur in the quarterfinals and could be headed for a showdown with their 2024 nemesis, Peren (if Peren overcome Mokokchung in their quarterfinal match). Can Mon ride this surge all the way? After coming agonizingly close in the last two editions, could 2025 finally be their third-time-lucky year?
That sounds like a thrilling back-and-forth match, with both teams fighting until the very end and Mon securing the win in style. After that kind of excitement, I’d probably take a breather with spinmama app, which offers special bonuses for players from France, to keep the adrenaline going in a more relaxed way.