Lajong rally to draw I-league opener against Churchill

Shillong, Nov 25: Shillong Lajong FC were staring at the possibility of a terrible start to their I-League 2024-25 campaign but salvaged a draw in a 2-2 draw with Churchill Brothers at First Ground, Polo, on Sunday.
Wade Lekay (14′, 21′) struck twice in the first quarter of the match to give the visitors a 2-0 lead but a goal in each half from two of Lajong’s Brazilian contingent – Douglas Tardin (35′) and Renan Paulino De Souza (50′) – ensured that SLFC came away with a point.
This was Lajong coach Jose Carlos Rodriguez Hevia’s first I-League match in charge of the Reds but the starting line-up would have looked very familiar to anyone who had watched Lajong under coach Bobby Lyngdoh Nongbet in 2023-24, with the only real change being the addition of Spanish midfielder Imanol Arana Sadaba.