Khalid Jamil's boys become first club from Northeast to win I-League after 1-1 draw with Shillong Lajong FC
Aizawl FC players celebrate with the I-League trophy after winning the match vs Shillong Lajong at Shillong yesterday. Pics/AIFF
In one of the biggest achievements in Indian football history, unheralded Aizawl FC yesterday lifted the I-League crown after they held Shillong Lajong 1-1 in a tense match here.
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Lajong went ahead in the ninth minute through A Dipanda but Aizawl equalised in the 67th minute through W Lalnunfela as the two sides split points in a highly-anticipated match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Despite Mohun Bagan defeating Chennai City FC 2-1 in a simultaneous match in Kolkata, Aizawl ran away with the title to script a fairytale story.
Aizawl FC head coach Khalid Jamil ecstatic after the final whistle was blown yesterday
Aizawl ended the league on 37 points while Mohun Bagan finished second on 36. They have won the I-League title in their second season, becoming the first club from the Northeast to bag the title.
It was, in fact, the Leicester moment for the Aizawl side as their fortunes turned around in just a matter of a year after they were on the verge of relegation from the I-League last season.
"At the half-time I just told the boys that you won't get another 45 minutes like this in your life. We knew we were 45 minutes away from being the champions," Aizawl FC head coach Khalid Jamil said at the post-match press conference.
"It's not just about me or any individual. It is about the boys. They played continuously and played well. They deserve the credit. This is my biggest victory ever," Jamil added.
"I always wanted to win the I-League. Every time at the start of the season I used to tell myself that 'this year I should win it.' I had to wait. And today we have won," he said.
A club whose budget is just around Rs 2 crore (Mohun Bagan spent the same amount in buying Sony Norde), it's an achievement of enormous proportion.
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