Shillong Lajong FC will be looking to continue their dream run and secure a ticket to the 2024 Durand Cup final when they face NorthEast United FC in the semi-final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Monday.

Despite being the only team left in the I-League, Shillong Lajong have proved that they can live beyond their means by shocking Kolkata giants East Bengal FC in the quarter-finals.

When an early goal from Marcos Rudwere was cancelled out by a precise finish from EBFC’s Nandhakumar Sekar, the Reds, supported by the crowds in the stands, needed just six minutes to regain the lead through Figo Syndai.

Earlier, Shillong Lajong had reached the knockout stages as group winners by defeating regional rivals Rangdajied United and Nepalese side Tribhuvan Army, while also drawing 1-1 with Indian Super League side FC Goa.

NEUFC also breezed through the group stages, notably beating fellow ISL club Odisha FC 5-1. Two second-half goals helped the team defeat the Indian Army Football Team in the quarter-finals to secure a place in the last four for the second year in a row.

After finishing just outside the top six of the ISL last season, head coach Juan Pedro Benali made changes to his team during the off-season in a bid to bring the club its first ever trophy.

New signing Guillermo Fernandez has been one of NEUFC’s standout players in the Durand Cup so far.

The Spaniard, who has made more than 430 appearances in various top European competitions (including La Liga and the UEFA Champions League), is his club’s top scorer in this edition of the competition and is in second place overall with four goals.

He shares the top scorer spot with Jithin MS, which was another sign of a positive season for the Highlanders. The 26-year-old is in top form, having scored four goals and assisted one in four Durand Cup matches and has already matched his goal tally from the entire previous ISL season, in which he played 20 games.

Also read | Mohun Bagan SG will face Mumbai City in their ISL opener on September 13

Home advantage

The semi-final between Shillong Lajong and NEUFC was scheduled to be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on August 25, but was postponed and moved to Shillong due to the enthusiasm of the clubs’ fans throughout the tournament.

According to the Durand Cup Organising Committee, “this move is designed to ensure that the fans, who are the heart and soul of the tournament, can experience the excitement of this crucial match in an environment that is in keeping with the deep-rooted football traditions of their teams.”

Shillong Lajong has played all its games at home so far and, with the support of its fans, is confident it has a good chance of pulling off another coup in the North East derby.

NEUFC, on the other hand, have the better head-to-head record against Shillong Lajong, but cannot leave anything to chance as they face a daunting task in their second consecutive attempt to reach the final of Asia’s oldest football tournament.