Dr. T. Ao Trophy 2026: Five teams advance as CRS rule dispute grows

Five teams have booked their places in the quarter-finals of the 25th Dr. T. Ao Trophy after 24 matches in Mokokchung, while a dispute over player registration rules before Zunheboto’s match against defending champions Mon has raised questions about how tournament decisions are communicated and enforced.

Mon have secured top spot in Group A, and Wokha, Tuensang, Phek, and Peren have also advanced from Groups C and D. Four group matches remain on October 22 to settle the second qualifying spot in Group A and both quarter-final places in Group B before the knockout stage begins on October 23.

The Silver Jubilee edition of Nagaland’s inter-district championship opened on October 13 at the Renpo Lu Sports Complex in Ungma, Mokokchung, with all 17 district teams split into four groups. The fixture announcement scheduled the end of the 28-match group stage for October 22, followed by the quarter-finals on October 23 and 24.

Attacking football has defined the tournament so far, with 120 goals scored across the first 24 matches for an average of five goals per game. The opening four matches alone produced 23 goals, as detailed in Nutmeg Press’s opening report. The biggest victories include Tuensang’s 9-0 win over Meluri, Wokha’s 8-0 win against Meluri, Mokokchung’s 8-1 win over Meluri, and Zunheboto’s 7-0 victory against Noklak, in which Atopu scored a hat-trick. Noklak’s Longkhoi also scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Kiphire.

Mon top Group A while Zunheboto and Noklak chase second spot

Defending champions Mon have set the pace in Group A with four wins from four matches. They opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Dimapur, came from behind to beat Kiphire 3-1, defeated Zunheboto 4-0, and edged Noklak 2-1 on Matchday 6. Those four victories gave Mon a maximum 12 points and confirmed first place in the group while ending Noklak’s hopes of catching them at the top.

Zunheboto remain the favourites to claim the second quarter-final berth from Group A, though they are not yet mathematically safe. They sit second with six points from three matches and a goal difference of plus four, having beaten Noklak 7-0 and Dimapur 1-0 before their loss to Mon. Zunheboto can secure their place when they face Kiphire in the final group match on October 22.

Noklak sit third on three points with a goal difference of minus three. They play Dimapur on October 22 and could still put pressure on Zunheboto if the final day’s results and goal differences swing in their favour.

Elsewhere in Group A on Matchday 6, Dimapur and Kiphire shared a remarkable 7-7 draw. The result gave both sides their first point of the tournament, leaving them on one point apiece and needing a win in their final fixtures along with help from the other group match.

Wokha and Tuensang advance from Group C as hosts Mokokchung exit

Group C has finished its fixtures, with Wokha and Tuensang claiming the two quarter-final places. Wokha beat Tuensang 1-0 in Match 23 thanks to a late goal from Yibenthung, lifting Wokha to first place on seven points.

Tuensang finished second with six points, which was enough to send them through after earlier wins over Meluri and hosts Mokokchung. Tuensang’s 9-0 win against Meluri remains the largest margin of victory in the tournament, while Wokha’s 8-0 win over the same opponents showed their attacking strength. Earlier reports from Nagaland Tribune and The Morung Express covered Wokha’s 8-0 victory and Tuensang’s 2-1 comeback win over Mokokchung on Day 4.

Wokha’s win over Tuensang also confirmed that hosts Mokokchung would not reach the last eight, despite Mokokchung beating Meluri 8-1 in Match 24. Having drawn 3-3 with Wokha on opening day, Mokokchung finished third on four points, while Meluri ended at the bottom without a point.

Phek and Peren claim Group D Quarter-Final places

Play in Group D is also complete. Phek topped the standings with nine points from three straight wins, beating Peren 4-1, Chümoukedima 3-1, and Niuland 4-2.

Peren secured second place on four points after finishing with one win, one draw, and one defeat. Their final group game against Chümoukedima decided the runner-up spot, as Peren recovered from conceding the opening goal to win 2-1. Nagaland Tribune’s report on Matches 17 to 20 covered Phek’s and Peren’s decisive victories. Niuland finished third with two points after drawing two matches, while Chümoukedima finished fourth on one point.

Group standings after 24 matches

The tables below show the standings after the first 24 matches. Groups C and D have finished play, while Groups A and B each have two matches left on October 22.

Remaining October 22 fixtures and Quarter-Final predictions

The final four group-stage matches on October 22 are scheduled as follows:

In Group B, Kohima have won both of their matches and hold a goal difference of plus seven, putting them in a strong position to advance ahead of their final game against winless Shamator. The other Group B match between Longleng and Tseminyu is a direct battle for qualification. Both teams have three points, and a win for either side would put the winner in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals. Because Tseminyu hold a minus-one goal difference compared with Longleng’s minus two, a draw would favour Tseminyu.

Based on the current standings and remaining matchups, the predicted eight quarter-finalists are Mon and Zunheboto from Group A, Kohima and Tseminyu from Group B, Wokha and Tuensang from Group C, and Phek and Peren from Group D. Only five of those teams (Mon, Wokha, Tuensang, Phek, and Peren) have confirmed their spots. The places for Zunheboto, Kohima, and Tseminyu remain predictions until the October 22 games are completed, as Zunheboto still need to protect second place in Group A and the Longleng versus Tseminyu match could alter the Group B standings.

Under the tournament’s knockout format, the Group A winner will play the Group B runner-up, and the Group B winner will face the Group A runner-up. The top two finishers from Groups C and D will meet in the other quarter-final ties on October 23 and 24.

Why Zunheboto had fair grounds to protest the registration enforcement

Away from the quarter-final race, the dispute surrounding Zunheboto’s October 19 match against Mon has become one of the central stories of the tournament. The controversy involved the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Central Registration System, known as CRS, and whether players whose registration applications were still pending approval could take the field.

The registration requirement itself was announced weeks before kick-off. In a notice issued on September 22, the Nagaland Football Association (NFA) stated that all participating teams had to complete player documentation and CRS registration by October 7, while also expanding the maximum squad size from 20 to 22 players. The NFA’s modified guidelines, reported by The Morung Express, made that deadline public well ahead of the tournament.

Questions arose over how the rule was handled after several teams struggled to finish CRS formalities on time. NFA officials later noted that the Durga Puja holiday break contributed to delays in processing pending applications on the AIFF portal. According to Mokokchung Times’ report on the CRS issue, organisers granted a grace period that allowed teams with pending CRS applications to play their first two group matches.

A meeting was then held on Saturday, October 17, at 12:00 pm. A concession requiring teams to have a minimum of seven CRS-approved players was reportedly discussed, although Mokokchung Times noted that this numerical threshold could not be independently verified from the written resolution issued by the NFA the next day.

On October 18, several district football associations, including Kohima, Chümoukedima, Phek, and Wokha, submitted written complaints to the NFA alleging that the registration rules were being enforced inconsistently. Those associations argued that players without approved CRS registrations from some districts had been permitted to play while players in similar situations from other districts were barred.

Also on October 18, the NFA adopted a written resolution stating that from a team’s third group match onwards, only players with AIFF-approved CRS registrations would be allowed to compete.

Zunheboto District Football Association (ZDFA) president Inoka told Mokokchung Times that Zunheboto had 11 players with approved CRS registrations and another 11 players whose applications remained pending on the AIFF portal. According to Inoka, Zunheboto had been told that the October 17 noon meeting was about changes to match timings, not player eligibility. Because Zunheboto had a match against Dimapur at 12:30 pm that day, the team manager and coaches attended the meeting, agreed to the timing adjustments, and left to prepare the players before any CRS discussion took place.

Inoka told Mokokchung Times that Zunheboto players and staff learned of the eligibility restrictions and the reported seven-player requirement only around 10:00 am on October 19, half an hour before their 10:30 am match against Mon. He said the late notice caused the players to panic, and they initially refused to take the pitch. When the match started, Zunheboto’s players stopped actively contesting play in the opening minutes, during which Mon scored twice.

Play was briefly halted for sideline discussions before the match resumed and ended in a 4-0 win for Mon. Inoka later contacted the NFA, the Mokokchung District Football Association, and the organising committee to apologise for the disruption, saying Zunheboto did not want to spoil the silver jubilee celebrations.

NFA officials told Mokokchung Times that the incident resulted from a miscommunication between the ZDFA and its players. They said the sideline talks cleared up the misunderstanding, allowing the game to continue, and added that the NFA remained in communication with Zunheboto officials.

Understanding the dispute requires separating two distinct questions: whether every player met the tournament’s CRS registration rules, and whether the changes in enforcing those rules were communicated clearly and applied consistently. The existence of the original October 7 deadline is an important fact, and the NFA had valid reasons to require approved registrations. However, pointing to the original deadline does not settle whether the decision to end the grace period was communicated fairly.

Based on the documented timeline, Zunheboto had legitimate grounds to protest how the rule was communicated and enforced. Once organisers allow teams to field players with pending applications during their first two matches, any shift back to strict enforcement needs to be communicated clearly, consistently, and well before match day so teams can prepare. The written complaints from Kohima, Chümoukedima, Phek, and Wokha show that concerns over inconsistent application were shared by several districts rather than Zunheboto alone.

That conclusion does not automatically mean Zunheboto was entitled to field unapproved players under the tournament rules. The available reporting also does not establish deliberate wrongdoing by Zunheboto or deliberate targeting by the NFA, and the disruption does not detract from Mon, whose players came to compete. Instead, the timeline explains why Zunheboto had a fair basis to question when the grace period ended, how that decision was passed on to teams, and whether every district was held to the same standard.

Clear written communication is essential for maintaining trust in local football. As earlier questions raised by Nutmeg Press noted, players should not learn about changes to their eligibility minutes before kick-off. While the final four fixtures on October 22 will settle the remaining quarter-final places for Zunheboto, Kohima, Tseminyu, Longleng, Noklak, Dimapur, and Kiphire, a clear public explanation from the NFA on how the CRS resolution was communicated and applied remains unpaid business ahead of the knockout rounds on October 23 and 24.