Northeast Derby (India)
Association football derby in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northeast Derby or North-East Derby is the name given to the football matches played among the northeastern teams mainly in the national leagues (ISL, IFL, I-League 2, and I-League 3) and cup competitions (Durand Cup and Super Cup).
(8 December 2012)
Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
(most notable)
The North East | |
| Location | Northeast India |
|---|---|
| Teams | |
| First meeting | United Sikkim 0-0 Shillong Lajong (8 December 2012) |
| Stadiums | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium Khuman Lampak Main Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (most notable) |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | Total: 36 Competitive: 34 |
| Most wins | Shillong Lajong FC (10 wins) |
All-time series | Shillong Lajong: 6 NEROCA: 6 Aizawl: 4 TRAU: 3 Royal Wahingdoh: 1 Rangdajied United: 0 United Sikkim: 0 Drawn: 10 |
Largest victory | NEROCA 5-0 TRAU (I-League, 8 February 2020) Royal Wahingdoh 0-5 Shillong Lajong (Shillong Premier League, 26 September 2017) |
History
The first match of a northeast derby in I-League was played between Shillong Lajong of Meghalaya and United Sikkim of Sikkim in Paljor Stadium, Gangtok on 8 December 2012 which ended in a goalless draw. United Sikkim got relegated at the end of the season while Shillong Lajong got relegated in 2018-19. Aizawl from Mizoram got promoted in 2015-16 but again got relegated at the end. They were promoted once again in the next season due to some reasons and became the champions. 2017-18 season saw the promotion of another northeastern team NEROCA from Manipur.[1][2][3]
Shillong Derby
From 2013 to 2015 there were consecutive promotions and relegations of Meghalayan teams Rangdajied United (2013-14) and Royal Wahingdoh (2014-15). During this short tenure the two teams played against Shillong Lajong respectively in the Shillong Derby. The first match of the derby in I-League to be played was on 22 November 2013 between Shillong Lajong and Rangdajied United that ended in a 1–1 draw. The next season the derby was played between Shillong Lajong and Royal Wahingdoh, with the first meeting in I-League on 18 January 2015 that ended with Royal Wahingdoh as the winner by 1–2. Both the rivalries continued thereafter in Shillong Premier League for a brief period until the teams were dissolved.
Imphal Derby
In 2019–20, another Manipuri side, TRAU got promoted, thus the beginning of Imphal Derby.[4] The derby is contested between NEROCA and TRAU, and was first played on 8 January 2020, in which TRAU emerged as the maiden winner of the derby by the scoreline of 2–1. The derby had already begun even before the inclusion of TRAU in I-League, when the two local rivals contested against each other in Manipur State League. The Imphal Derby gained fame in 2022 during the 131st edition of Durand Cup when competitive football returned to the city after COVID-19 pandemic in India.[5][6] The Government of Manipur declared a half-holiday for all governmental and educational institutions in build-up to the match on 18 August,[7] in which TRAU was defeated by NEROCA 3–1 in the group C opener.[8]
Mizo Derby
The promotion of Chanmari to IFL in 2025–26 saw them clashing against fellow Mizo side and former champions Aizawl on 24 March 2026. Aizawl won the match 3–2 after overturning a two–goal deficit.[9]
Teams
| Team | City | State | Home stadium | League (Tier) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthEast United | Guwahati | Assam | Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium | Indian Super League (I) |
| Aizawl | Aizawl | Mizoram | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | Indian Football League (II) |
| Chanmari | ||||
| Shillong Lajong | Shillong | Meghalaya | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | |
| NEROCA | Imphal | Manipur | Khuman Lampak Main Stadium | I-League 2 (III) |
| Karbi Anglong Morning Star | Diphu | Assam | KASA Stadium | |
| TRAU | Imphal | Manipur | Not assigned[10] | I-League 3 (IV) |
| KLASA | Keinou | |||
| Raengdai | Noney | |||
| Chhaygaon | Chaygaon | Assam | ||
| Sikkim Brotherhood | Gangtok | Sikkim | ||
| Mawlai | Shillong | Meghalaya |
Statistics
Current teams
Aizawl vs NEROCA[11]
| Competition | Aizawl wins | Draw | NEROCA wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Matches
| Season | Competition | Date | Home team | Result | Away team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Other | 3 September 2016 | Aizawl | 0–1 | NEROCA |
| 2017–18 | I-League | 20 January 2018 | Aizawl | 1–2 | NEROCA |
| 10 February 2018 | NEROCA | 0–0 | Aizawl | ||
| 2018–19 | I-League | 7 November 2018 | Aizawl | 0–0 | NEROCA |
| 27 January 2019 | NEROCA | 0–0 | Aizawl | ||
| 2019–20 | I-League | 6 December 2019 | NEROCA | 1–0 | Aizawl |
| 2020–21 | I-League | 30 January 2021 | NEROCA | 1–2 | Aizawl |
| 11 March 2021 | NEROCA | 0–1 | Aizawl |
TRAU vs NEROCA (Imphal Derby)[12]
| Competition | TRAU wins | Draw | NEROCA wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Matches
TRAU vs Aizawl[13]
| Competition | TRAU wins | Draw | AIZAWL wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Shillong Lajong vs Aizawl[14]
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | Aizawl wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Friendlies | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 3 |
Shillong Lajong vs NEROCA[15]
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | NEROCA wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Shillong Lajong vs NorthEast United
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | NorthEast United wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Durand Cup | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Aizawl vs Chanmari
| Competition | Aizawl wins | Draw | Chanmari wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Football League | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Shillong Lajong vs Chanmari
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | Chanmari wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Football League | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Former teams
Other teams played in the I-League in the past, until they were either dissolved or relegated to regional leagues.
Shillong Lajong vs United Sikkim[16]
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | United Sikkim wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Shillong Lajong vs Royal Wahingdoh (Shillong Derby)[17][18]
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | Royal Wahingdoh wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Federation Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Shillong Lajong vs Rangdajied United (Shillong Derby)[19][20]
| Competition | Shillong Lajong wins | Draw | Rangdajied United wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-League | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Head-to-head ranking (I-League / IFL, 2009-present) US - United Sikkim; RW - Royal Wahingdoh; RU - Rangdajied United; SL - Shillong Lajong; AZ - Aizawl; NR - NEROCA; TR - TRAU; CN - Chanmari
Notes
- Only the rank in the Championship stage (group A) is taken account of; NEROCA and Aizawl couldn't qualify, hence they played in the Relegation stage (group B). NEROCA eventually got relegated after finishing at the bottom of the group. NEROCA was reinstated by the AIFF.
- Only the rank in the Championship stage (group A) is taken account of; TRAU and Aizawl couldn't qualify, hence they played in the Relegation stage (group B).
- Only the rank in the Promotion Round is taken account of; Aizawl couldn't qualify, hence they played in Relegation Round.
- In 2010-11 season, there were no clubs from Northeast India
Recent meetings
2025–26 IFL season
| Date | Venue | Home team | Result | Away team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 March 2026 | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | Chanmari | 1–2 | Shillong Lajong | NA |
| 24 March 2026 | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | Aizawl | 3–2 | Chanmari | NA |
| 18 April 2026 | SSA Stadium | Shillong Lajong | 6–1 | Aizawl | NA |
| 2 May 2026 | SSA Stadium | Shillong Lajong | 4–0 | Chanmari | NA |
2026 IFL 2 season
| Date | Venue | Home team | Result | Away team | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2026 | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | NEROCA | 2–2 | Karbi Anglong Morning Star | NA |
Honours
- I-League / Indian Football League:
- I-League 2nd Division / Indian Football League 2:
- Durand Cup: