Nagaland’s goalkeeper Neithovilie Chalieu has re-signed his contract with his old academy club Shillong Lajong FC for two seasons. After signing his contract with the club, he said, “I have re-signed with this club because Lajong is my first club and always in my mind; they gave me a platform when I was nowhere… I came back here to give something to my club.”
He hoped that with the new contract, he will be able to play well in the Durand Cup, I-league and also get his chance to play in some ISL clubs in the near future. The 24-year old Chalieu is the son of Zhagwelhou and Kezhaleno Chalieu, hailing from Tsiepama village from Chumukedima district. He is the fifth among seven siblings.
Chalieu on Lajong jersey debuted in I-league in the year 2018-19 as the first choice goalkeeper. But the very same year, the team was relegated from the I-League and it took them four years to qualify for the league again this year.
After relegation, Neitho went on to play for Ryntih Football Club, a club based in Shillong, and played in the I-League qualifying round but didn’t qualify to play at the men’s second-tier of Indian football league system. He then signed a contract in 2021 with Malwlai SC, another club based in Shillong but left on mutual understanding this year after completing Shillong Premier League.
Shillong Lajong are now back in the Hero I-League after a gap of four years. They were relegated after finishing at the bottom of the table in the 2018-19 season. Their journey in this season’s Hero 2nd Division began as early as the qualifying round in February and went on to qualify along with Delhi FC.
Neitho, an academy product of Lajong, have won the U-18 I-League trophy with Lajong in 2018 and won the U-21 Dr T Ao Trophy with Nagaland in 2018.
Some of the major trophies he has won are U-14 Subroto Cup Nagaland team 2012, Nagaland Premier League runner-up 2013 with Naga Tornados FC, Santosh Trophy representing Nagaland (3 times) during 2019, 2021 and 2022, Shillong League champions with Lajong during 2016, 2017 and 2019, and Meghalaya State League champion in 2019.
