Nagaland’s striker Haileuyibe Iranggau, fondly called “Nagaland’s Haaland” by fans for his lethal goal-scoring instincts, is now in the fight of his life. At just 29, both his kidneys have failed.
Sources have confirmed to SportsLIVE Nagaland that he is currently in the ICU undergoing a life-saving transplant surgery.
Born on April 7, 1996, in Old Jalukie, Peren district, Haileuyibe’s rise from school tournaments to professional football is a story of grit and belief. His turning point came in Pune, while pursuing higher studies at Pune University. There, he starred for Parshuramians Soccer Club in the Pune Super Division and was named Best Player in 2016. His career later took him to the I-League Second Division with Madhya Bharat SC (2017–18) and Fateh Hyderabad AFC (2018–19).
For the Nagaland state team, Haileuyibe’s entry was nothing short of a miracle. In the 2022–23 Santosh Trophy, he was initially left out of the squad. But when key strikers were sidelined, he was called up — and delivered instantly, scoring three goals in three matches to lead Nagaland to three straight wins. He was named Player of the Match against Goa and finished among the team’s top scorers.
His exploits at home are equally storied. As captain of Lekie Mtei FC in the inaugural Peren District Football League, he once scored four goals in a single match — the league’s first hat-trick — and became top scorer within just two matches. He also claimed the golden boot at the Captain Kenguruse Memorial Trophy in 2022. Off the pitch, he shaped young talent as a coach at Hope Academy School in Dimapur.
His last outing in the Nagaland jersey came at the Northeast Games 2024, helping secure a bronze medal. Since then, his absence from the inaugural Nagaland Super League and his district squad was a silent sign of the storm he was facing.
Now, as surgeons fight to give him a second chance at life, the boy who once turned half-chances into goals needs the biggest team of all — his people — to rally behind him. This is the most crucial match of Haileuyibe Iranggau’s career, and the final whistle is yet to blow.
(Source: SportsLIVE Nagaland)
