“Not just me, all of us are really happy,” says Ayenmongba Chang: scores twice, Yhoto adds one
Nagaland registered a convincing 3-0 victory over Manipur in a Group D match of the 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2025–26 at Umakanta Mini Stadium, Agartala, Tripura, on December 17.
S Ayenmongba Chang scored twice for Nagaland, finding the net in the 7th and 53rd minutes, while Yhoto Lohe added the third goal in the 39th minute.
Reacting to the win, Ayenmongba said the victory was special given the strength of the opposition. “Manipur, Mizoram, they are all top teams in India, so who wouldn’t be happy winning against them. Not just me, but all of us are really happy,” he told MT.
However, he pointed out that the team still needs one more win to secure qualification for the next round. “We need one more win to qualify, so we are focusing on that,” he added.
Speaking on the team’s approach, Ayenmongba said they followed the coach’s instructions closely. He also described Manipur as a strong side and the match as an exciting contest. “Our opponents were really good. It was an exciting game, but maybe they somehow gave up after the two early goals,” he said.
He credited Nagaland’s defensive performance for creating counter-attacking opportunities. “Our defence was really good, so we played a lot on the counter,” he said.
Nagaland’s attacking trio of Yhoto Lohe, Ayenmongba Chang and Laiwang Konyak has been instrumental so far, with the three forming a strong combination up front. Yhoto’s goal against Manipur was his second of the tournament.
Coach Lavoriyi Theluo talking to Mokokchung Times thanked God for the win, adding that their approach to the game brought positive results.
“We were told that Manipur had better players than last year. They have a very strong squad, including individual players, but we studied and analysed their game. Our boys gave their 100%, and together with everyone’s hard work and sacrifice, we were able to win,” he said.
Highlighting the team’s composition, Theluo said most of the players are young and playing the Santosh Trophy for the first time. “We have a very young team and most of them are first-timers. Most of them are 19, 20 and 21. I believe the right approach and management is crucial for them, and I believe that has brought us a good outcome,” he said.
Earlier, Nagaland had defeated Mizoram 1–0 in their opening group match. Nagaland will next face Tripura on December 19.
A total of 35 teams are competing in the group stage of the Santosh Trophy, divided into nine groups – eight groups of four teams each and one group comprising three teams.
Only the group winners will qualify for the 12-team Final Round, where they will join host Assam, defending champions West Bengal and last season’s runners-up Kerala.
In another match of the same group, Mizoram defeated Tripura by a solitary goal. Tripura had earlier lost to Manipur 1-5.
Nagaland nears historic Santosh Trophy final round qualification
After the second leg of the group stage matches, Nagaland leads the points table with two wins from as many matches, while Mizoram and Manipur each have one win from two matches. Both Mizoram and Manipur secured their wins at the expense of Tripura, who will next play group leaders Nagaland on December 19. Nagaland only needs a draw against Tripura to confirm their qualification for the final round of the Santosh Trophy. Both Manipur and Mizoram still have a mathematical chance to qualify if either side defeats the other by a sufficient margin, provided Tripura defeats Nagaland, who currently has a +4 goal aggregate.
Meanwhile, Nagaland is on the verge of making history if they manage to overcome Tripura on Friday. It is reported that Nagaland has never qualified for the final round of the Santosh Trophy, the inter-state national football competition contested by state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
