The acquisition of Aizawl Football Club has been formally completed and recognised by the AIFF, paving the way for Nagaland United Sports Club to participate in the forthcoming season of the IFLin October 2026.
Nagaland United Sports Club (NUSC) is pleased to announce that the process for the acquisition of Aizawl Football Club (AFC) has been formally completed and recognised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF),paving the way for Nagaland United Sports Club to participate in the forthcoming season of the Indian Football League (IFL), scheduled to commence in October 2026.
This marks a historic milestone for Nagaland football and represents a significant step forward in the collective aspiration to provide the State’s sporting talent with opportunities and platforms at the highest levels of competitive sport in the country.
A club built around the dreams of our youth
Nagaland United Sports Club was founded with a larger vision: to promote, nurture and support the sporting talent of Nagaland and the region and to create pathways through which young sportspersons can pursue their dreams and compete at the highest national and international levels.
Beyond competition and sporting success, NUSC believes deeply in the transformative power of sport. Guided by the values and ideals of the Olympic Movement, the Club aspires to use sport as an instrument of peace, unity, friendship and empowerment.
Nagaland United Sports Clubs seeks to become a platform where dreams are given opportunity; where talent is met with pathways; and where young people, irrespective of their backgrounds, are encouraged to believe that excellence at the highest level is within their reach.
Our objective is not merely to build a successful club. It is to contribute towards strengthening the entire sporting ecosystem of Nagaland and the region — from grassroots development and talent identification to professional competition, sports science, infrastructure, capacity building and employment opportunities.
We believe that when our young people succeed, Nagaland succeeds; and when Nagaland shines on the national and international stage, we contribute in our own meaningful way towards the larger process of nation building.
A strategic decision for Nagaland football
The decision to acquire Aizawl Football Club was taken by the Managing Board of NUSC after careful consideration of the pathways available for Nagaland football to enter the national professional structure.
Under the conventional progression route, the Club would have been required to compete through the State and lower-division leagues over several seasons before earning the opportunity to reach the higher levels of Indian football.
The Managing Board therefore decided to explore every legitimate opportunity available to accelerate this journey and provide Nagaland football with a presence on the national stage at the earliest possible opportunity.
The acquisition enables our football ecosystem to secure a seat at the high table of Indian football and, more importantly, creates a pathway for our players, coaches, technical personnel, administrators and young footballing talent to gain exposure to the standards, demands and opportunities of the professional game.
We recognise that entering the national league is only the beginning. The greater challenge now lies ahead — to build a professional, competitive and sustainable institution worthy of representing the aspirations of our people.
Gratitude to Aizawl Football Club and the people of Mizoram
NUSC places on record its sincere gratitude to the proprietors and members of Aizawl Football Club, led by Pu Robert Royte, for approaching the entire process in a positive and constructive spirit and for ensuring that the goodwill arrangement between the two organisations was concluded smoothly and successfully.
Aizawl FC occupies a special place in the history of Indian football. We recognise and respect its legacy, its achievements and above all, the passion of its supporters.
While Nagaland United Sports Club begins a new chapter, we do so with friendship and respect for the football fraternity of Mizoram. We extend our appreciation to the Mizoram Football Association for the assistance and cooperation extended throughout the process.
To the people of Mizoram and especially the supporters of Aizawl FC, we convey our respect and gratitude. We hope the bonds created through this transition will endure and we look forward to your goodwill and support in the journey ahead.
Appreciation to AIFF and the IFL
Nagaland United Sports Club extends its deepest appreciation to the All India Football Federation under the leadership of its President, Shri Kalyan Chaubey for facilitating the process and providing invaluable guidance at every stage.
AIFF’s support towards the development of football in Nagaland has been exemplary, and the football fraternity of the State remains deeply appreciative of its continued encouragement.
We also express our gratitude to the Governing Body of the Indian Football League for its guidance and cooperation. The warmth with which Nagaland United has been welcomed by the participating clubs and the solidarity extended to us have been extremely encouraging.
We look forward to welcoming teams, officials and supporters from across the country to Nagaland — the Land of Festivals— as we collectively celebrate the joy, passion and extraordinary power of football to bring people together.
Thanks to the Nagaland football family
NUSC places on record its sincere appreciation to the Nagaland Football Association and all its members for their guidance and support throughout this process, under the leadership of its President, Mr. Neibu Sekhose, who is also an Executive Member of the AIFF.
This milestone belongs not to one organisation alone, but to the larger football fraternity that has worked for generations to keep the beautiful game alive across our towns, villages, schools, communities and playgrounds.
We acknowledge the contribution of former players, coaches, administrators, clubs, volunteers, parents and countless football enthusiasts whose dedication has laid the foundations upon which the present generation now stands.
Gratitude to the Chief Minister and Government of Nagaland
Our sincere and utmost appreciation goes to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland, Dr. Neiphiu Rio, whose vision, leadership and guidance have been instrumental in enabling the realisation of this objective.
His consistent support — not only for Nagaland United Sports Club but for football and the larger sporting movement in Nagaland — has created an environment in which our young people can aspire to greater opportunities.
We are equally grateful to the Government of Nagaland and the Department of Youth Resources & Sports for their constant and unstinted support.
The progress witnessed across different sporting disciplines in recent years reinforces our conviction that sport can become an important pillar of youth empowerment, employment, economic opportunity, social cohesion and the positive projection of Nagaland to India and the world.
Most of all, this journey belongs to the people
Our greatest appreciation goes to the football supporters and sports lovers of Nagaland and the region.Since the establishment of Nagaland United Sports Club, the response from supporters has been overwhelming. The affection, encouragement, prayers and sense of ownership shown towards the Club have exceeded anything we could have imagined.
To every supporter who has stood with us, worn our colours, cheered for our players, travelled to matches, encouraged us online or simply believed in what Nagaland United Sports Club could become — Thank You.
As we now enter the national stage, we also reach out to the larger Naga community across the country. When Nagaland United Sports Club plays away from home in different cities of India, we seek the support of our Naga brothers and sisters living there especially our youth and students. Come to the stadiums, stand with our players, wear our colours and make your voices heard.Wherever we play, let us make it feel like home.
Let us all play together as one team.
A sporting institution ultimately draws its strength from its people. Without supporters, there is no club; without dreams, there is no journey.
As Nagaland United Sports Club prepares to step onto the national football stage, we therefore seek the prayers, blessings and support of every citizen of Nagaland.
This is more than the journey of a football club.
It is our collective journey
And as we begin this new chapter, we carry the legacy of Nagaland football with pride and honour. We are conscious that the foundations of this journey were laid generations ago by pioneers who carried the name of our people far beyond our hills.
Foremost among them was the legendary Dr. Talimeren Ao, who captained the Indian football team at independent India’s first Olympic Games at the London Olympics in 1948. His extraordinary journey remains an enduring symbol of what a young person from Nagaland can achieve on the highest stage when given an opportunity.
We inherit that legacy with humility and a profound sense of responsibility.
When our players walk onto the field, they will carry with them not only the colours of Nagaland United, but the hopes of thousands of young boys and girls playing football in our villages, colonies, schools and neighbourhoods. They will carry our history, our identity and the aspirations of our people.
We will strive to compete with courage, humility, discipline and integrity. We will endeavour to be positive ambassadors of our land and our people wherever we travel.
Nagaland United Sports Club will use every platform available to promote Nagaland, celebrate our people and showcase the extraordinary talent, creativity, culture and potential of our State and the region.
Above all, we will endeavour to serve the ambitions and aspirations of our youth by creating opportunities through sport and enabling their talent to carry Nagaland to national and international arenas.
The road ahead will not always be easy. There will be challenges, victories and setbacks. But we undertake this journey together — as players, supporters, institutions, communities and citizens.
We will make every effort to make Nagaland shine and India win, guided by the motto that defines who we are and what we aspire to achieve:
RISE TOGETHER
One Team. One Dream. One Nagaland.
We play as Team Nagaland. We Rise Together.