Northeast Derby or North-East Derby is the name given to the football matches played among the northeastern teams mainly in the national leagues (ISL, IFL, I-League 2, and I-League 3) and cup competitions (Durand Cup and Super Cup).
History The first match of a northeast derby in I-League was played between Shillong Lajong of Meghalaya and United Sikkim of Sikkim in Paljor Stadium, Gangtok on 8 December 2012 which ended in a goalless draw. United Sikkim got relegated at the end of the season while Shillong Lajong got relegated in 2018-19. Aizawl from Mizoram got promoted in 2015-16 but again got relegated at the end. They were promoted once again in the next season due to some reasons and became the champions. 2017-18 season saw the promotion of another northeastern team NEROCA from Manipur.
Shillong Derby From 2013 to 2015 there were consecutive promotions and relegations of Meghalayan teams Rangdajied United (2013-14) and Royal Wahingdoh (2014-15). During this short tenure the two teams played against Shillong Lajong respectively in the Shillong Derby. The first match of the derby in I-League to be played was on 22 November 2013 between Shillong Lajong and Rangdajied United that ended in a 1–1 draw. The next season the derby was played between Shillong Lajong and Royal Wahingdoh, with the first meeting in I-League on 18 January 2015 that ended with Royal Wahingdoh as the winner by 1–2. Both the rivalries continued thereafter in Shillong Premier League for a brief period until the teams were dissolved.
Imphal Derby In 2019–20, another Manipuri side, TRAU got promoted, thus the beginning of Imphal Derby. The derby is contested between NEROCA and TRAU, and was first played on 8 January 2020, in which TRAU emerged as the maiden winner of the derby by the scoreline of 2–1. The derby had already begun even before the inclusion of TRAU in I-League, when the two local rivals contested against each other in Manipur State League. The Imphal Derby gained fame in 2022 during the 131st edition of Durand Cup when competitive football returned to the city after COVID-19 pandemic in India. The Government of Manipur declared a half-holiday for all governmental and educational institutions in build-up to the match on 18 August, in which TRAU was defeated by NEROCA 3–1 in the group C opener.
Mizo Derby The promotion of Chanmari to IFL in 2025–26 saw them clashing against fellow Mizo side and former champions Aizawl on 24 March 2026. Aizawl won the match 3–2 after overturning a two–goal deficit.
Teams +2025–26 seasonTeamCityStateHome stadiumLeague (tier)NorthEast UnitedGuwahatiAssamIndira Gandhi Athletic StadiumIndian Super League (I)AizawlAizawlMizoramRajiv Gandhi StadiumIndian Football League (II)ChanmariShillong LajongShillongMeghalayaJawaharlal Nehru StadiumNEROCAImphalManipurKhuman Lampak Main StadiumI-League 2 (III)Karbi Anglong Morning StarDiphuAssamKASA StadiumTRAUImphalManipurNot assignedI-League 3 (IV)KLASAKeinouRaengdaiNoneyChhaygaonChaygaonAssamSikkim BrotherhoodGangtokSikkimMawlaiShillongMeghalaya
Statistics Current teams Aizawl vs NEROCA +CompetitionAizawl winsDrawNEROCA winsI-League232Other001Total233
Matches SeasonCompetitionDateHome teamResultAway team2016–17Other3 September 2016Aizawl0–1NEROCA2017–18I-League20 January 2018Aizawl1–2NEROCA10 February 2018NEROCA0–0Aizawl2018–19I-League7 November 2018Aizawl0–0NEROCA27 January 2019NEROCA0–0Aizawl2019–20I-League6 December 2019NEROCA1–0Aizawl2020–21I-League30 January 2021NEROCA1–2Aizawl11 March 2021NEROCA0–1Aizawl
TRAU vs NEROCA (Imphal Derby) +CompetitionTRAU winsDrawNEROCA winsI-League111Total111
Matches SeasonCompetitionDateHome teamResultAway team2019–20I-League8 January 2020TRAU2–1NEROCA8 February 2020NEROCA5–0TRAU2020–21I-League15 January 2021NEROCA1–1TRAU
TRAU vs Aizawl +CompetitionTRAU winsDrawAIZAWL winsI-League201Total301
Shillong Lajong vs Aizawl +CompetitionShillong Lajong winsDrawAizawl winsI-League522Friendlies001Total523
Shillong Lajong vs NEROCA +Competition Shillong Lajong winsDrawNEROCA winsI-League103Total103
Shillong Lajong vs NorthEast United +CompetitionShillong Lajong winsDrawNorthEast United winsSuper Cup001Durand Cup003Total004
Aizawl vs Chanmari Competition Aizawl winsDrawChanmari winsIndian Football League100Total100
Shillong Lajong vs Chanmari Competition Shillong Lajong winsDrawChanmari winsIndian Football League100Total100
Former teams Other teams played in the I-League in the past, until they were either dissolved or relegated to regional leagues.
Shillong Lajong vs United Sikkim +CompetitionShillong Lajong winsDrawUnited Sikkim winsI-League110Total110
Shillong Lajong vs Royal Wahingdoh (Shillong Derby) +CompetitionShillong Lajong winsDrawRoyal Wahingdoh winsI-League011Federation Cup100Total111
Shillong Lajong vs Rangdajied United (Shillong Derby) +CompetitionShillong Lajong winsDrawRangdajied United winsI-League020Total030
Head-to-head ranking (I-League / IFL, 2009-present) - United Sikkim; - Royal Wahingdoh; - Rangdajied United; - Shillong Lajong; - Aizawl; - NEROCA; - TRAU; - Chanmari /I-League / IFL season09-1011-1212-1313-1414-1515-1616-1717-1818-1919-2020-2121-2222-2323-2424-2524-251 AZ 2 NR SL3 RW TR4 TR5 SLAZ CN6SLSLSLNRTR 7AZNRAZ8 SLSL9 SLNR10SL AZNRAZAZ11SL SL12NR13RUTR14SLUS
Notes
In 2010-11 season, there were no clubs from Northeast India
Recent meetings 2025–26 IFL season
DateVenueHome teamResultAway teamAttendance19 March 2026Rajiv Gandhi StadiumChanmari1–2Shillong LajongNA24 March 2026Rajiv Gandhi StadiumAizawl3–2ChanmariNA18 April 2026SSA StadiumShillong Lajong6–1AizawlNA2 May 2026SSA StadiumShillong Lajong4–0ChanmariNA
2026 IFL 2 season
DateVenueHome teamResultAway teamAttendance8 May 2026Rajiv Gandhi StadiumNEROCA2–2Karbi Anglong Morning StarNA
Honours I-League / Indian Football League: Aizawl (2016–17) I-League 2nd Division / Indian Football League 2: Shillong Lajong (2011) United Sikkim (2012) Randajied United (2013) Royal Wahingdoh (2014) Aizawl (2015) NEROCA (2016–17) TRAU (2018–19) Durand Cup: NorthEast United (2024, 2025)
See also Imphal Derby Aizawl Derby Kolkata Derby Mini Kolkata Derby I-League Super Cup List of association football rivalries North East Premier League
References Cited sources
Further reading