There is something of a tradition in the MSL that in four previous editions no club have won the title more than once and MSL 5 will be no different as neither Nongkseh nor Langsning have ever been to an MSL final.
MSL was initiated by the Meghalaya Football Association and Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs in 2017. One of the major reasons was to discover hidden talents and the league has certainly lived up to that goal.
Thirty-three teams set off on this journey from across the state this year and now the final two will battle it out to be Champions of Meghalaya.
The stunning trophies for the champions and runners-up were revealed today in the presence of the captains and coaches of Nongkseh and Langsning along with senior MFA officials led by President Hamletson Dohling.
Turnout throughout the league has been a testament to Meghalaya’s love of football and the strong following that local teams have. The semifinals took that passion to the next level, with the SSA Stadium packed to the rafters as Nongkseh defeated Rymbai Shkenshynriah and Langsning edged past Shillong Lajong. Dohling encouraged the fans to come out one last time to cheer on their respective teams.
Speaking to reporters, Nongkseh coach Richard Nongneng said, “We have prepared well and, though we respect our opponents, we trust that our players will do well and lift the trophy.”
This is Nongkseh’s first season in the MSL but they have several players who have played at this level or higher before. One such is the captain, Hardy Cliff Nongbri. “All the players are fit and we will work hard and implement the training we’ve had under our coach,” he said.
Nongkseh have been unbeaten in MSL 5 and that enviable streak actually began in 2025 when they were undefeated in local competitions.
It was in December that they met Langsning in the semifinals of the SSA Champions Cup and that match started with Langsning taking the game by the scruff of the neck with two early goals before Nongkseh levelled and then won the tiebreaker.
If that match was on Langsning coach Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh’s mind, he did not refer to it. “Nongkseh are a strong team but they have some weak points and we will plan accordingly,” Syiemlieh said. “We are mentally and physically ready.”
Langsning reached the semis of the inaugural MSL in 2017 but that was the high point for them until this year. If there is any team that can halt Nongkseh’s run, Langsning have the belief that they can do it and this was summed up in the words of skipper Atlanson Kharmaw, who said, “We’ll go all out from the beginning. We are ready and confident of winning.”
