New Delhi: From battling in second division football over just a year ago, to standing at the cusp of winning their maiden I-League, Neroca’s meteoric rise has been an incredible journey, one that will be again put to display on March 8 against East Bengal.
The Manipur based club are currently second on 31 points from 17 matches, just one less than leaders Minerva Punjab on points. Their final match against the Red and Golds is a must-win but even a victory won’t guarantee them the title and a lot depends on Minerva losing at-least one of their two remaining matches.
But their level of consistency —- unbeaten run of nine games — that too for a team that plays six homegrown players and are in their debut season in the I-League, Neroca has certainly proved that modest means are no impediments to big dreams.
Coach Gift Raikhan credits the Neroca’s success to the club management’s policy of nurturing home players and trusting them.
“Apart from a few signings, most of the squad stay the same. So the understanding, continuity and the consistency has paid off for us,” said Raikhan.
The title though looks a distinct dream now with both Minerva and East Bengal catching pace. But Neroca for all their hard work are guaranteed a place among the top four and a direct entry into the Super Cup as well as next season’s league.
Not many expected them to be in the position they are now, but Neroca have exceeded and bridged all expectations with a kind of performance that spoke for themselves.
“We have proven we belong here,” said Raikhan and rightly so. “As a new team in the league, we took it as a challenge to put up our best front. I think we have justified our promotion to the I-League,”he added.
In 17 games that have lost just four times. Neroca was promoted as a result of winning the second division league. Though it was a big occasion for a team that was built in 1965 but are playing their first ever top-division football 53 years later, Raikhan’s boys did not go southwards.
“You can’t let yourselves be bogged down by the occasion. Then you are doomed from the start,” added the former Churchill Brothers coach.
He had taught his boys “to live in the present and take each day as it comes” and to say that they followed every bit if that instruction will be the obvious.