By Paritosh Pramanik
Aug 26, 2025
THEY were also-rans just a few years ago. But NorthEast United Football Club has grown leaps and bounds only to be counted as one of the best football clubs in the country.
In 2023, NorthEast United were the semi-finalists of the prestigious Durand Cup.
Cut to 2025, the Highlanders are now two-time champions!
Most must have thought that the 2024 maiden Durand Cup title win was a fluke, but the Spaniard Juan Pedro Benali Hammou coached side proved all their critics wrong as they went on to defend the title crushing Diamond Harbour 6-1 in a one-sided final at Kolkata last Saturday.
The Highlanders, thus became the first team since East Bengal FC in 1991 to successfully defend the Durand Cup.
The NorthEast United’s success must be attributed to Kamptee’s Asheer Akhtar who changed the team’s fortunes when he joined them in 2023 from Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. The ‘Wall’ of NE United FC defender Asheer was the one who opened the floodgates in their thumping 6-1 over Diamond Harbour in the final.
Diamond Harbour had managed to hold the defending champions at bay until defender Asheer ran from the back line to score the opener in the 30th minute. From there on it was one-way traffic as Parthib Sundar Gogoi (45+1), Thoi Singh (50th), Jairo Samperio Bustara (81st), Andy Rodriguez (86th) and Alaaeddine Ajaraie (90+3th) scored in the huge title win.
“It looked a one-sided game but we worked hard to defend the title,” Asheer told ‘The Hitavada’ from his team base in Guwahati on Monday.
“We were determined to defend the title. Unlike other teams, we started our preparations in advance and had only one goal — to retain the cup.
“Our management, coach and every single member had only one target — lifting the Durand Cup again,” said Asheer, son of former AG Office footballer Mehfooz Akhtar.
“We played to a plan and executed it well. We did not make any big changes in our style of play. We played as a cohesive unit and supported each other,” said Asheer about the team’s approach in the tournament.
In 2024, Asheer was part of that history making NE United team which came from a two -goal deficit to score two in three minutes of the second half and take the match into shoot-out where they emerged winners with a 3-2 verdict defeating football giants Mohun Bagan in their own den in Kolkata.
Asheer still aspires to play for the country at the highest level. “I want to wear India Blue. That is my ultimate dream and I am working hard to fulfill it,” Asheer, who started playing as a forward in school (MM Rabbani) and Rabbani Club, concluded.
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Asheer has been playing professional football since 2010. He joined SAIL Football Academy Bokaro and stayed there for two seasons. He then returned to Nagpur and played for Rabbani Club, Kamptee and then played for Pune FC Under-19 team. His journey went northward as he shifted to Kashmir in 2014 to play second division and then played the Goa League in 2015. In 2016, Asheer got first hand experience of playing in I-League for Mumbai FC. His career took wings and he joined Bengaluru FC for another couple of years (2018-19). The former Rabbani Club player then moved to East Bengal and then joined mighty Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kolkata before moving to Sreenidi Deccan Football Club in 2022. He was then picked by NorthEast United and is serving the Highlanders till date.
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