It has been an intriguing start to the Shillong Premier League 2026 and Bhogtoram Mawroh has been present for (almost) all of the first five matches to bring you his thoughts on what are the strengths and the weaknesses of the teams involved. It makes for interesting reading!
Now that the first round of the 2026 SPL is done, I think some preliminary observations can be made and future trends can be tentatively charted. The matches have come thick and fast and the contenders have not impressed. Based on the opening round, if one were to predict the teams that might challenge for the trophy, one would have to list Nongkseh, Langsning, Lajong and Mawlai, in that order. This is despite the fact that this is Nongkseh’s first season in the top league but they have enough pedigree to go all the way. Whether they are able to do that, however, depends on whether they can solve their immediate problems.
First of all, let’s discuss the reigning champions, Langsning. They do not have a lot of star players, but the structure put forward by their coach, Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh, has worked well for them. It was panic and inexperience that actually ruined their chances in the Meghalaya State League final against Nongkseh. They looked the better team in the first half of the final but fell apart in the second. This time it is hoped that they will learn to control their nerves a little better. Their defence is quite solid, with experience and stability in the form of Atlanson Kharmaw and Wallambok Dkhar, and they have an effective midfield, but their attacking force has become a little dented with the departure of Nelson Rymbai to Lajong.
Langsning have strengthened their squad during the transfer window, most notably by bringing in Syed Ahmed to lead the attack. For a tall player, one would expect him to win headers in the box, but I saw little of that against Sawmer. He did try to create a few chances and, early in the game, some better passing from his teammates would have seen him in action. One could see that he was very disappointed. But when a brilliant opportunity fell at his feet, courtesy of a header by Kyrmenskhem Mukhim, he not only fluffed his lines but also went down injured. Not to cast aspersions here but strikers are known to hold their calf, or whatever part of the body is supposedly responsible, when they miss a gilt-edged chance. But since he went off injured, I will reserve my judgment until next time.
Nelson scored a lot of goals but he also ran like a man possessed and his energy and calmness under pressure are something they are missing right now in Langsning. Monush Lapang had a good MSL campaign with Rymbai Shkenshynriah but he was not a prolific goalscorer. So, unless he has injured himself very badly, Syed needs to start upfront and take his chances the next time they come. He could very well be the difference in a Langsning team that is not looking really sharp right now. It was only the introduction of Samuel Phawa that made the difference against Sawmer but he is not a pure striker and I hope he is not played through the middle to compensate for the lack of firepower if things do not improve very soon.
The playing of players out of position could become a disaster waiting to happen for Nongkseh, who appear to have quite a roster of players across the pitch except in the striker’s position. Last season they played with either Shano Tariang or Khrawkupar Jana. Both are of different profiles. Shano is a more mobile striker, but Khrawkupar’s role is about holding up the play and bringing others into the game. Personally, I think Shano cannot play as a lone striker unless paired with another attacking player through the middle, but Khrawkupar has not shown the control or the sharpness to lead the line thus far. However, I have more hope in the latter and would advise him to sit down and learn from Donlad Diengdoh who, despite his lack of height, is an excellent target man. Khrawkupar is the perfect player for a team like Nongkseh, which has a plethora of attacking players in the wide areas and others, like Hardy, arriving through the middle.
Maybe that could have been the reason why they played Sheen S Sohktung as the striker, who normally plays on the wings. Based on his performance against Mylliem, I don’t see him having the killer instinct that one needs while playing through the middle or the link-up play that is required to bring others into the game. His dexterity and quick feet is an asset in the wide areas, and the team loses a lot by playing him through the middle. At least from the game against Mylliem, Nongkseh looks like a team that has a plan and is not relying on the individual brilliance of players, especially Hardy Cliff Nongbri, who has become the talisman for this team. But the striker’s position is where they will have to do something, unless Sheen scores a hat-trick in the next match, which is against Lajong in the Durand Cup.
Shillong Lajong, as expected, look like a team that has a plan to develop its players and this is quite evident in the way they play. Players are encouraged to keep the ball and run with it and there is movement all over the pitch. However, if the opening match is anything to go by, their tactics are becoming a little apparent, especially how they use their striker to pull players, particularly centre-backs, out of position, as they did against Nangkiew Irat, and then attack through the wings. During the MSL campaign, one could see this tactic repeated again and again. This time, in their opening match, Deibormame Tongper was trying the same approach by pulling Brolington Warlapih into midfield, thereby creating a vacant space on the right side. He did finally score, but it came courtesy of a set-piece, where he was the quicker to react. Nangkiew had their own moments and if the shots by Justerwell Tham and Yhoto Lohe had gone in instead of striking the goalpost things could have been different. But more than the strikers, it is the defence that worries me, both for Lajong and Nangkiew Irat.
Mebanaibok Kharbudnah reminds me of a young John Stones who, while playing for Everton, though very comfortable with the ball at his feet, was prone to mistakes. In the game against Nangkiew Irat, there were quite a few. So far, Mebanaibok looks unperturbed by anything that happens in the game and maybe it is for that reason that his passing is sometimes nonchalant. It is yet to be seen whether Lajong have finally solved their defensive frailties against set-pieces, so concentration is going to be important if Lajong have any hope of not conceding more goals than they can overcome. Stones matured when his position was threatened by Aymeric Laporte and it made him a great player. When Mebanaibok will finally gain maturity in his game remains to be seen.
On the other hand, the problem with Nangkiew Irat is their defensive duo of Brolington Warlarpih and Kitdorlang Lyngdoh Nonglait. Brolington has been a great servant of football but one can already see mistakes creeping into his game and this was quite apparent last year when he played for Mawlai. His reading of the game is still good and his positioning is almost always immaculate. But I am not sure about his pace. Kitdorlang is a great fighter and an aggressive defender but the way he grimaced when he ran after the ball in the first half shows that pace is not his greatest strength. He escaped a yellow card in the second half when he was late to the ball but finally got one for complaining too aggressively. If I were an opposition team, I would target these defenders of Lajong and Nangkiew Irat.
With Mebanaibok, I would continuously press him, knowing that a mistake is around the corner. As for Kitdorlang, I would sit back, allow Nangkiew Irat to advance and then play a high ball from the left behind Nangkiew Irat’s centre-back, fully aware that I could either beat him in a foot race or at least get him sent off. No player is perfect. It all depends now on how these two players understand their weaknesses and learn to play with them in a way that does not cost their team.
Mawlai, the other contenders, destroyed Laitkor by scoring five goals against them, but it was a performance that hid quite a lot of problems. I did not watch the first half, so I do not know what happened there, but the second half, where Mawlai scored all their goals, revealed both their strengths and their weaknesses. The biggest strength of this team is their energy and fast-paced game. In fact, it feels like everything is happening in fast-forward, with Mawlai players constantly running at and attacking their opposition. But that is the problem.
Sometimes, the moves happen too fast. Especially while attacking, they have the philosophy of passing and moving at breakneck speed, with players running into the box to receive the through ball. Sometimes the run does not come because the pass is played too early and the players are not expecting it. At other times the pass is made even when the gaps have not yet opened up. However, when the game plan comes off, it looks brilliant and effective, like the goal by Bajiedang Rangslang, which was the best example of one-touch passing. However, there were quite a lot of misplaced passes, which led to Mawlai surrendering possession. Against a better team, this would have opened up counter-attacking opportunities that could have been quite fatal. Teams like Lajong, Nongkseh and Langsning will definitely look to exploit this.
Laitkor looked completely deflated after the first goal, which led to two more goals in quick succession. More than anything, it is the mental strength of the team that would worry me if I were their coaches. As for Mawlai, their lack of patience and habit of trying to force things were quite evident in their maiden I-League 3 campaign as well (where they exited in the group stage). They need to recognise the opportunity and then play the pass. The fifth goal was possible because there was space behind the defender, who was isolated in the middle. However, when there are multiple defenders in the middle, it is best to recycle the ball and keep possession rather than just try to play a magical pass. If the opening match is any indication, Mawlai’s lack of patience could be their kryptonite. Also, based on what we have seen so far, I am not really sure if this Mawlai midfield can control the game against better teams. For them, it appears to be all about pace. Pace and aggression are good and I don’t think should be discarded but they have to be combined with a little composure.
I could not watch the game between Rangdajied United and Meghalaya Police but from the highlights it appeared to have been a cracker. I cannot say much about these two but, from what I have seen, in my personal opinion there are no clear favourites right now. Based on the opening round, all the contenders either have problems in their attacking or their defensive halves. Can those be rectified? It all depends on the coaching staff and the players. But whatever it may be, this appears to be a tightly contested season.
