The Capt. (Late) N Kengurüse, Mahavir Chakra Memorial Football Tournament is set to enter its 10th edition this year, with the organisers announcing an expanded ₹8.69 lakh prize purse and a nine-day competition across Kohima and Chümoukedima.
The 2026-27 edition of the tournament was formally unveiled at a curtain-raiser and press briefing held at Chieswema Garrison on Monday. The tournament will be conducted from November 2 to 10, 2026, under the aegis of the Spear Corps, Indian Army and Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (North), in collaboration with the Nagaland Football Association (NFA), with support from the Kohima District Football Association (KDFA) and Chümoukedima District Football Association (CDFA).
Announcing the schedule, Col Tijo Joseph, Commandant, 17 Assam Rifles, on behalf of IGAR (North), Kohima, said the tournament would feature 20 teams competing in a knockout format.
The participating teams would be divided into four pools of five, with a total of 20 matches scheduled during the tournament.
The opening phase would be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima, from November 2 to 6. The venue will host the opening ceremony, 12 pool matches and four quarterfinals.
The tournament would then move to the Chümoukedima Football Stadium for its decisive stages. The two semifinals, third-place playoff, final and closing ceremony will be conducted from November 7 to 10.
Registration for participating teams would open at 6 a.m. on September 1 and close at 8 p.m. on September 30. The draw of lots and fixture announcement will be held on October 7, ahead of the tournament’s opening on November 2.
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Prize purse raised by ₹2.22 lakh
A key feature of the 10th edition is the increase in the overall prize money to ₹8.69 lakh, representing a rise of ₹2.22 lakh compared with the previous edition.
The tournament will award:
Champion: ₹4,00,000
Runner-up: ₹2,00,000
Third place: ₹1,00,000
Fourth place: ₹75,000
Golden Boot: ₹20,000
Player of the Tournament: ₹15,000
Best Goalkeeper: ₹10,000
Best Midfielder: ₹10,000
Manager of winning team: ₹8,000
Coach of winning team: ₹8,000
Physio of winning team: ₹8,000
Manager of runner-up team: ₹5,000
Coach of runner-up team: ₹5,000
Physio of runner-up team: ₹5,000
Roko Angami, Treasurer of the Nagaland Football Association, thanked the Assam Rifles for continuing to organise the tournament and described it as an important platform for football development in the state.
He said the decision to host the latter stages in Chümoukedima was taken in view of multiple engagements scheduled at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kohima.
