All Roads Lead to Rajiv Gandhi Stadium

At least that was what it felt like today. The day of the eagerly awaited match between Aizawl FC and the oldest club in India, Mohun Bagan AC. Tickets for the match were already sold out by Tuesday. The unfortunate ones who did not have the foresight to buy theirs early were looking for tickets in the black market willing to spend more cash than the tickets actually cost. The match had been a common household topic for the last few days. All local newsapers anticipated the match. And then the fateful day arrived bringing with it a heavy downpour of rain and thunder.

No queue is too long if it leads to a football match 

But that did not deter passionate football fans from moving towards the stadium. Everybody knew how consequential today's match was to be. After all, the match could determine the team that would lift the trophy. But Aizawl's winning goal by Zotea in the 83rd minute was not enough to declare them champions in the match which ended 1-0 in favor of Aizawl FC.

Braving the rain for their team

Both Mohun Bagan AC and Aizawl FC still have a chance at the title, though Aizawl's chances look slightly better with them needing just a draw in their final match this season which is to be played against Shillong Lajong FC at Shillong on the 30th of this month. Hopefully Shillong will be ready to welcome a large number of football fans from Aizawl that weekend.



Coming back to today, it must have been a touching sight for AFC players and officials to see so many fans gather to watch their team in action and to cheer for them in spite of the rain and all the inconveniences rain can bring sometimes.

All prepped up for the match

Raincoats and warm jackets were a must wear

A member of the Red Army, a name for hardcore AFC fans

Where there is a wheel or two, there is a way



For most of the Mizos, Aizawl FC is more than just a football club. The club is an unofficial ambassador of the state and Mizo culture. To see them at the top of the I-League table has made all Mizos immensely proud of them. Recognition at the national level is rare, but Aizawl FC have grabbed the attention of a huge section of the Indian nation. Hopefully, at least all football fans from mainland India will now know what every Indian should have known since Elementary school; that Mizoram is a state in India and that the Mizos are not Chinese or Japanese.



Football, a game that is passionately loved by Mizos, has always played a huge role in the lives of the Mizo people but it has only been a few years since it became an avenue seriously considered as a viable profession. Today, Mizoram can proudly claim that some of the best players in India are the sons of its soil.



Eight days from now, I-League will have new champions. Whether Aizawl FC become the champions or not, they will always be remembered with fondness and affection by the Mizos. Aizawl FC will continue to be an inspiration for younger children who aspire to be professional footballers, and for other clubs with modest budgets as they have shown that a huge budget is not the most important thing when it comes to the beautiful game. 



As of now, the future of Indian football and the decisions that will be made by the AIFF remain unclear but the hope is that this I-League season and the amazing story of the club that got relegated and reinstated will serve as a reminder that football is about passion and teamwork, and not to be misused as a platform for power play.



As Aizawl FC coach Khalid Jamil fondly says of his boys, "Dil se khelte hai", let's hope all further decisions will be made from the heart and with genuine desire to see the beloved game progress in India.