Come July 30, it’s Derby Match! Football fans across Manipur are going to witness their hearts pounding at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium, as your homegrown NEROCA and TRAU are all set for a fierce clash, opening the Imphal chapter of the 134th Edition of the Durand Cup—the oldest football tournament in Asia.
A total of 24 teams have been divided into six groups for this year’s edition, which will be held across five cities in India. The tournament kicks off at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on July 23, with Indian Super League (ISL) side East Bengal FC facing South United FC.
When it comes to football, the highest attendance record at the stadium was set with a total of 35,285 people on the 5th of January 2018, between NEROCA FC and Indian Arrows (2-1, 2017-18 season).
Now, player preparations on both teams are in full swing for the July 30 match. NEROCA FC Head Coach Gyan Moyon said the return of Durand to Imphal is a good opportunity for the people of Manipur. And it’s been three weeks now that the players of NEROCA have been in field practice. For this edition, the people will witness a mix of both experience and youth. Player Rohit from NEROCA said the teams from both sides will receive crowd support and motivation, and the match will give further chances to excel in the future according to the players’ performance.
