On song: Ajaraie, left, shone with a brace for NEUFC.
| Photo Credit: X@thedurandcup
Alaaeddine Ajaraie scored on either side of the halves to help NorthEast United FC prevail over local challenger Shillong Lajong FC 2-1 in a Group-E league encounter of the 134th Durand Cup at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Friday.
The Moroccan striker, who scored a hat-trick in NorthEast’s 3-1 win against Malaysian Armed Forces side in the previous match, continued his fine form by drawing first blood in the fifth minute.
Playing its final group league match, Lajong fielded a young side with domestic recruits but fought back well to score the equaliser in the 81st minute through substitute Figo. Ajaraie found the winner within two minutes to have NorthEast tying Lajong on top of the table on six points.
NorthEast, which still has a match to go, ensured the top spot on head-to-head record and ensured a quarterfinal berth in the process.
Jamshedpur FC produced a confident display to down 1 Ladakh FC 2-0 in a Group-C match at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur. This was the third consecutive win for Jamshedpur, which topped the group with an all-win record to secure a quarterfinal berth.
The results: Group-C (Jamshedpur): Jamshedpur FC 2 (Siju 28-og, Praful Kumar 46) bt 1 Ladakh FC 0
Group-E (Shillong): NorthEast United FC 2 (Alaaeddine Ajaraie 5, 83) bt Shillong Lajong FC 1 (Figo 81).
Published – August 08, 2025 10:57 pm IST
