Defending champions NorthEast United FC strengthened their push for the knockout stages of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup with a convincing 4-1 victory over Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC in their Group F encounter at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Saturday.
Alaaeddine Ajaraie was the standout performer, scoring twice, while substitutes Macarton Louis Nickson and debutant Etyan Gonzalez Morales added late goals to complete a comfortable win for the Highlanders.
The result also extended NorthEast United’s unbeaten run in the Durand Cup to 14 matches. The defending champions have not lost in the competition since their defeat in 2023.
Juan Pedro Benali’s side started aggressively, lining up in an attacking 4-2-4 formation and immediately putting Karbi Anglong under pressure.
NorthEast United were rewarded in the seventh minute when they earned a penalty after Junior Onguene Nkengue brought down Ajaraie inside the box. The Moroccan forward made no mistake from the spot, sending goalkeeper Jaspreet Singh the wrong way.
Karbi Anglong struggled to establish any rhythm but stunned their opponents with an equaliser in the 28th minute. A poor pass from Soraisham Dinesh Singh fell to Nkengue, who made up for his earlier error by calmly finishing from close range.
NorthEast United regained control and came close to restoring their advantage before the break. Ajaraie forced Jaspreet into a fine save with a powerful free-kick, while Redeem Tlang also remained a constant threat.
Benali responded at half-time by introducing Parthib Sunder Gogoi and Macarton, and the changes immediately paid off.
Three minutes after the restart, Gogoi found Ajaraie inside the penalty area. The forward created space before drilling a left-footed shot into the net to put NorthEast United back in front. The goal was Ajaraie’s fifth of the tournament, taking him level with the leading scorers.
Karbi Anglong attempted to respond through counter-attacks, with Nkengue forcing NorthEast goalkeeper Dipesh Chauhan into a difficult save from distance. However, the Highlanders gradually tightened their grip on the contest.
Spanish forward Etyan Gonzalez Morales was introduced after the hour mark as NorthEast searched for more goals. Ajaraie narrowly missed a hat-trick before Karbi Anglong’s resistance finally collapsed late on.
In the 83rd minute, Buanthanglun Samte delivered an accurate cross into the box, and Macarton rose above the defence to head past Jaspreet and make it 3-1.
NorthEast continued attacking deep into stoppage time. Abdul Rabeeh then produced an impressive run down the left before sending a low delivery across the box, allowing Etyan to tap home in the sixth minute of added time.
The goal marked a memorable Indian football debut for the Spanish forward and sealed another emphatic victory for the defending champions.