NEROCA FC

NEROCA Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Imphal, Manipur, that competes in the I-League, first tier of Indian football.[4][5] The club made its I-League 2nd Division debut in the 2015–16 season.[6] The club won the 2016–17 I-League 2nd Division and secured promotion to the I-League.[7] NEROCA is the only club from Northeast India to reach the final of the coveted Durand Cup.

NEROCA FC
Full nameNorth Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association Football Club[1]
Nickname(s)Orange Brigade[2]
Founded1965 (1965)
GroundKhuman Lampak Main Stadium
Capacity35,285
OwnerNEROCA Football Club Pvt. Ltd. under North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association (NEROCA)
ChairmanArunkumar Thangjam
Head coachKhogen Singh[3]
LeagueI-League
2020–21I-League, 11th of 11
WebsiteClub website

History

Formation and early years

North Eastern Re-Organising Cultural Association[8] (NEROCA) was established in 1965 with the hope of improving quality in the field of cultural activities and sports in the Indian state of Manipur. It was registered under the Manipur State co-operative Society Registration Act bearing registration No. 1016 of 1972. NEROCA is a registered football club of Imphal East District Football Association and affiliated to All Manipur Football Association (AMFA).[9] NEROCA has participated in the Manipur State League (MSL),[10][11] since its inception and finished second-placed in the MSL 2007.[12]

2014–present

In the 9th Manipur State League 2014, NEROCA won the championship trophy.[13] With the aim of participating in the I-League 2nd Division, 2015–16 and as per the norms of All India Football Federation (AIFF), the nomenclature of NEROCA was changed to NEROCA Football Club and managed by a Private Limited Company, NEROCA Football Club Pvt. Ltd.

NEROCA competed in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 I-League 2nd Division.[14] They emerged as champions of the 2016–17 season with 26 points in 10 matches from the Final Round. They qualified for the 2017–18 season of the I-League.[15]

The biggest achievement of NEROCA is emerging as the runners-up in the 2017–18 I-League.[16] Under the coaching of Gift Raikhan,[17] they finished campaign with 32 points from 18 matches.[18] In that season, NEROCA brought Vector X as their official shirt sponsor.[19]

In the 2020–21 I-League, NEROCA finished bottom of the Relegation Stage and got formally relegated, but were reinstated by AIFF after the viewing the situation of Covid-19 pandemic.[20]

On 4 July 2021, NEROCA signed Khogen Singh as their head coach for the 2021–22 I-League season.[3]

Crest and colours

The official colour of NEROCA is orange and green.[21] In team crest, there is map of Manipur in background and an anchor of sailing boat in foreground.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2015—16 Glory Sports Classic Group of Hotels[22]
2016—17 Bee Athletic
2017—18 Vector X[19]
2018—19 Sqad Gear
2019–2020 Vicky Transform Living 3D
2020–2021 Ambition Sportswear[23] GMT[24]
2021–present Nivia Sports Ud chalo flights

Stadium
Main article: Khuman Lampak Main Stadium
Khuman Lampak Stadium on a matchday

Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal, Manipur, is used as the home ground of NEROCA Football Club for all their home matches in both the domestic and regional leagues.[25][26] Opened in 1999, the stadium is owned by All Manipur Football Association and has a capacity of 35,285 spectators. Their first home match in the I-League was played on 15 December 2017 against Chennai City FC.[27]

Support and rivalry

Supporters

NEROCA had the 2nd highest average attendance for the 2018–19 I League season. In the 2017–18 season, NEROCA had the highest attendance in the I-League.

Rivalries
See also: Imphal derby and Northeast Derby (I-League)

NEROCA have participated in the Imphal derby with city rivals TRAU.[28] The two clubs are the only two from Imphal to have played professional league football.

In the Northeast Derby (I-League), they have a rivalry with Mizoram-based club Aizawl FC.[29]

Players
As of 9 August 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
26 GK  IND Prateek Kumar Singh
3 DF  IND Jonathan Cardozo
16 DF  IND Madan Saiprasad Ghogale
— DF  GHA Ben Quansah
20 DF  IND Mohammad Abdul Salam
6 DF  IND Romtan Singh
15 MF  IND Vicky Meitei
9 FW  ESP Sergio Mendigutxia
10 MF  ESP Juan Mera
12 MF  IND Benjamin Lupheng
17 FW  LBN Mohamad Kdouh
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  IND Shubham Dhas
7 MF  IND Khaimithang Lhungdim
22 MF  IND TH Hrishikesh Namboothiri
23 DF  IND Kongbrailatpam Manjit Sharma
13 MF  IND Y. Sonam Chothe
33 DF  IND Seikhohao Haokip
18 FW  IND Sweden Fernandes (on loan from Hyderabad)
29 MF  IND Pukhrambam Manisana
14 MF  IND Jiteshwor Yumkhaibam
19 MF  IND Ayush Kumar Singh
— DF  IND Inban Udhyanidhi

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
18 FW  IND Sweden Fernandes (on loan from Hyderabad)

Current technical staff
Position Name
Head coach Khogen Singh[3]
Assistant coach Sapam Premkanta Singh
Secretary Leimapokpam
Goalkeeping coach Sapam Premkanta Singh
Team manager Laishram Rajiv Singh
Physio Kshterimayum Karan Singh
Kit manager Lairellakpam Shobha Singh

Team records
Season Div. Tms. Pos. Average attendance Federation Cup/Super Cup Durand Cup AFC CL AFC Cup
2015–16 I-League 2nd 10 3 – DNP DNP DNP DNP
2016–17 I-League 2nd 12 1 8,438 DNP Runners-up DNP DNP
2017–18 I-League 10 2 21,382 Quarter-finals DNP DNP DNP
2018–19 I-League 11 6 19,139 – DNP DNP DNP
2019–20 I-League 11 9 13,202 – DNP DNP DNP
2020–21 I-League 11 11 – DNP DNP DNP
Key
  • Tms. = Number of teams
  • Pos. = Position in league
  • Attendance/G = Average league attendance

Overall records

updated on 28 May 2017

Season Domestic Asia
Division P W D L GF GA P W D L GF GA
2015–16 2 18 8 5 5 20 16 Not qualified
2016–17 2 16 12 3 1 28 7 Not qualified
2017–18 1 18 9 5 4 20 13 Not qualified
2018–19 1 20 7 6 7 27 26 -
2019–20 1 20 -

Top scorer

updated on 16 August 2021

Season Player Goals
2015–16 Ejiogu Emmanuel 3
2016–17 Felix Chidi Odili 9
2017–18 Felix Chidi Odili 7
2018–19 Felix Chidi Odili 8
2019–20 Philip Adjah 9
2020–21 Judah García 4

Past and present internationals
  • The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed, represented their countries before or after playing for NEROCA FC.[30]

India

Asia

Managerial records

updated on 21 June 2020

NameNationalityFromToPWDLGFGAWin%
Gift Raikhan  India 2015[43] 2018 52 29 13 10 68 36 055.77

Manuel Retamero Fraile

  Spain 2018[44] 2019 20 7 6 7 11 7 035.00

Gift Raikhan

  India 2019[45] 2021 16 5 3 8 27 35 031.25

Khogen Singh

  India 2021[3] present 0 0 0 0 0 0 !—

Honours

League

Cup

References
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