ISL 2024-25: Alaaeddine Ajaraie came off the bench to score a winner in the stoppage time (90+4) to earn NorthEast United FC a hard-fought 1-0 victory in their ISL 2024-25 opener against debutants Mohammedan SC at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan here Monday.
In a fiercely contested match, Ajaraie came off the bench to score the decisive goal, converting a cross from Thoi Singh to spark wild celebrations from the Highlanders.
Jithin MS, who was named the Player-of-the-Match, put an effort into keeping the ball in play near the byline and crossed it across the face of the goal. Ajaraie met the ball and flicked it further across where it was met by another substitute Thoi Singh. Thoi controlled the ball and put it back in for Ajaraie, who thumped a first-time effort into the roof of the net.
“More than performance, I am happy with three points. It is all the same whether you score in the first or the last minute of the game. It was the first game of the ISL against a very dangerous opponent, who were playing their first ISL game, on their home turf,” NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali said after the match.
NorthEast United FC kick off ISL 2024-25 with a win
Earlier in the match, both teams created several chances but were unable to break the deadlock. Jithin MS and Guillermo Fernandez, who were instrumental in NorthEast United’s Durand Cup success, continued their impressive form throughout the game.
Around the 10-minute mark, Jithin put in Guillermo with a lovely through ball but the Spaniard’s shot went just wide of the far post of Mohammedan SC’s custodian Padam Chettri. Around the 36-minute mark, the duo combined again, playing a neat one-two, but this time Jithin’s shot from the edge of the box flew over the crossbar. However, at the break the score remained 0-0.
In the second half as well, the Highlanders forward line of Guillermo, Nestor Albiach, Jithin MS and Parthib Gogoi tried their best to break the deadlock before the gaffer swapped Ajaraie for Nestor. At the other end, Dinesh Singh, Asheer Akhtar, and Samte were marshalled well by skipper Michel Zabaco at the back along with Mohammed Ali Bemammer and Mayakkannan in the midfield.
As the game headed towards the end, Thoi Singh came on for Gogoi and was at the right place at the right time to put in an all-important cross. This is the first time since 2020 that NEUFC has won their opening match of the ISL campaign. That time, the Highlanders had beat Mumbai City FC 1-0.
The NorthEast United FC next face Mohun Bagan SG at the Salt Lake Stadium on September 23 in a rematch of the Durand Cup final.
