Nagaland enters Santosh Trophy Final round after 79 Yrs

Nagaland scripted history by securing its maiden entry into the final round of the Santosh Trophy after 79 years, holding hosts Tripura to a 1-1 draw in a Group D match of the 79th National Football Championship at Umakanta Mini Stadium, Agartala, on December 19.
The result also confirmed Nagaland’s qualification for the National Games scheduled to be held in Meghalaya in 2027.
Tripura took an early lead in the 17th minute through Dewasish Rai’s free kick, before Nagaland’s Laiwang Bohham equalised in the 53rd minute. The spirited performance sealed Nagaland’s place among the 12 teams in the final round, which will comprise the nine zonal toppers, last year’s defending champion and runner-up, along with host Assam.
Earlier in the group stage, Nagaland registered back-to-back victories against Mizoram and Manipur. In their opening match, Nagaland edged past Mizoram 1-0, courtesy of an early strike by Yhoto Lhohe in the 7th minute. The decisive goal set the tone for Nagaland’s campaign.
Continuing their momentum, Nagaland delivered a commanding performance against Manipur, with S. Ayenmongba opening the scoring in the 7th minute. Yhoto Lhohe added another in the 40th minute, before Ayenmongba sealed the victory with his second goal in the 53rd minute, leading Nagaland to a convincing 3-0 triumph.
With two consecutive wins and a hard-fought draw against Tripura, Nagaland has positioned itself strongly in the group stage and now advances to the prestigious final round of the Santosh Trophy.