Officials during the press conference held in Dimapur on May 12.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 12
The Nagaland Super League (NSL) season 2 is scheduled for a December 2025 date. President of the Nagaland Football Association, K Neibou Sekhose made the disclosure at a press conference in Chümoukedima on May 12.
Sekhose said that the organisers are targeting December-January— start in December and conclude by the end of January 2026. With the winner of the NSL promised qualification to the All India Football Federation I-League, he said that a December-January schedule aligns with the I-League, which starts in March-April.
He added that that the NFA has also requested the AIFF to consider allowing upto 3 NSL teams gain entry into the national league. According to him, the state association is actively pursuing the request. If achieving three I-League spots is not feasible, he said that they are exploring other avenues, potentially involving participation in a northeast regional competition for the top teams of the NSL.
Member of the NSL Governing Body, Abu Metha added that while the inaugural NSL prioritised establishing a brand and increasing its visibility, season 2 would be bigger and better but with continued support.
The team pool would likely increase with Metha disclosing that potential investors and clubs have expressed interest to join the league. According to him, there will be an open process for new franchises to apply and for existing ones to continue, subject to compliance. The aspirations for season 2 include expanding the scope of the league— increased prize money, more teams and more matches.
Metha, who is also the Secretary General of the Nagaland Olympic Association, however maintained that it implies higher costs and infrastructure requirements.
What was described as an overwhelming public response to season 1 had thousands of fans missing out on tickets to the playing arena, especially in Chümoukedima. While stating that alternative, or bigger, venues are being considered, he said that the state government has begun work on expanding the seating capacity of the stadium in Chümoukedima.
Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio made an announcement on the closing function of season 1 that the government will work on enhancing the seating capacity.
Prize money controversy
Queried on the controversy over deferred disbursal of NSL prize money, Metha held that the release of prize money to the participating teams is conditional upon franchisees meeting league regulations.
It includes meeting contractual obligations like paying player salaries according to the mandatory, NFA-vetted agreements established before the season. According to him, the primary objective of the obligation is to protect the players and ensure they receive their agreed-upon compensation before their clubs access the prize funds.
While some clubs was said to have complied with the conditions, he said that there are others, which have reportedly not yet submitted the necessary documentation proving player payments, leading to the delay in their prize money disbursement. He said that the contractual obligation is in line with the NFA and AIFF standards, while adding that failure to adhere could impact future club registration.
NSL ‘Final Score’
Metha highlighted what he said were the significant achievements of NSL 1. It included a special award from the AIFF for a new project by a member association. Over 60,000 people attended the matches in the two venues.
The final match saw a record 53,000 live viewers, with the final view-count crossing the 5,00,000 mark online. It got more than 7 million impressions on Facebook. “The amount of following we had was never really expected, but as I said, this is because the fans responded to us,” Metha said.
While the total prize money was tipped at over Rs 1 crore, ticket sales generated approximately Rs 60 lakh. According to Metha, NSL 1 created 612 jobs, including professional opportunities for 203 footballers.
Football Scholarship
Metha informed that the NSL has tied up with the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS), Bangalore for selecting the best U-20 players for training at the academy. He said that the IIS, funded by the JSW Foundation, is India’s best sports academy that has produced Olympic, Asian and Commonwealth Games champions.
According to him, one of the primary objectives was the mandatory inclusion of U-20 players in squads and starting lineups to promote local talent.
