SHILLONG: In a proud moment for Shillong and the state as a whole, Rangdajied United FC became the second club from the city to qualify for the I-League’s top division after they defeated Mohammedan Sporting 3-1 in Bangalore on Saturday.
By dint of this victory – their fifth on the trot – RUFC topped the group of six clubs in the second round of the 2nd Division who were all vying for a spot in the I-League.
Mohammedan, a Kolkata team, had already booked their place in the I-League on Thursday.
Rangdajied finished with 19 points from 10 matches, with the Black Panthers ending on 18.
Bhawanipore FC, the on-ly other team in contention for an I-League berth, finish-ed with 17 points after they defeated Mumbai Tigers 5-3, after the RUFC game.
The Shillong club, formerly known as Ar-Hima, had come closest to qualifying for the first division in 2011, ending fourth in the final phase.
Against Mohammedan, Rangdajied opened their account in the fifth minute when Charles Dzisah, while trying to clear RUFC’s Shin Hojun’s shot, sent the ball into his own net.
The Shillong-based club threw themselves into the attack on several occasions and their efforts paid off at the end of the first half.
Rangdajied consolidated their position when skipper Restom Khriam doubled the lead after being set up by Babatunde Ayomide in the 45th minute.
After the break, Moham-medan were the more attack-ing side, but Rangdajied were solid in defence and maintained their 2-0 lead.
Just when it appeared that the game would end without another goal, sub-stitute Jerry Zirsingha re-duced the margin for the Kolkata club in the 83rd mi-nute, beating RUFC goal-keeper Shambhu Mistry.
Rangdajied, however, only had to wait two more minutes before Shin Hojun, who narrowly missed a chance earlier in the second half, restored the two-goal margin with a solo effort.
Although far away from their home turf, Rangdajied were boosted by the presence of dozens of fans cheering them on.
“I can’t express how happy I am,” RUFC general secretary Karsing Kurbah was quoted as saying on the AIFF website.
“This has to be the fi-nest hour of the club. We have worked so hard… While we were preparing for the 2nd Division, I remember not allowing the players to go home for a single day. They obeyed, and today we are reaping the dividends.”
“We were almost out of reckoning in Singrauli (the Group A venue for the preliminary round). We fought hard. Then in the first round of the final phase too we finished with only four points from five matches. I am glad that we peaked at the right time. I feel so proud,” he added.
He described falling short in 2011 as “heartbreaking”, but said, “we always aimed for the top flight. The day has finally arrived. We are going to celebrate a lot tonight.”
“We have big plans for the I-League. This is what we played for. But for now, we’ll rejoice. It’s euphoric.”
Langsning will play the final match of the 2nd Division against Southern Samity on Sunday. While a dead rubber, Langsning will want to return home on a winning note.