Brought on as a substitute on the last day of the season, it is unimaginable that William Lalnunfela had ever imagined scoring the goal that would clinch the I-League trophy for Aizawl FC.
Born on July 6 in the northern part of Mizoram in a town called Kolasib, Lalnunfela has already become a legend of sorts in these parts. The 21-year-old scored the pivotal goal that gave Aizawl a much needed point to clinch the I-League title.
Yet for William, one wish remains unfulfilled – that his father, who had passed away in March this year, could have seen him score the equaliser against Shillong Lajong.
An adamant football fan, William played for his locality and town in several local tournaments slowly starting to gain recognition among local coaches. In 2001, he performed spectacularly in the Red Ribbon Inter-Village Tournament for Kolasib Vengthar Village Council leading his team to the knockout stage.
The watershed moment of his career happened in 2011 when he got a call to trial with Pune FC which competed in the I-League at that time. Between 2011 and 2013, the Mizoram lad played a crucial role in leading Pune FC Academy to becoming champions for two straight years – in 2012 and 2013. William was also the top scorer in 2013.
From Mizoram to Pune to Chanmari to Aizawl
After graduating from Pune FC Academy, he returned to Mizoram and signed with one of the top teams in the state, Chanmari FC, in 2013. The club went on to lift the Mizoram Premier League and the MFA Super Cup the same season, with William making crucial contributions.
He went on to make a mark for himself as Mizoram lifted the coveted Santosh Trophy title in 2014. This achievement ranks high in his career, as well in the history of football in Mizoram, as it helped many Mizo footballers earn recognition at the national milieu.
William, signed by Aizawl FC in 2015, led the people’s club to the trophy in his first season there. The same season saw them promoted to the I-League after a successful stint in the second division.
Aizawl FC did not have a successful run in the I-League in their first season, but it was a different story in the Mizoram Premier League. Becoming the first club to emerge champions in two consecutive seasons, Aizawl FC lifted the Mizoram Premier League trophy again in the 2015-’2016 season.
Though Aizawl FC did not fare well in their maiden I-League season getting relegated, and then famously reinstated, they went on to become champions in the second season with William stepping up just when his team needed him to, scoring what is perhaps, the most important goal of his career. The story of Aizawl FC’s triumph has made the coach Khalid Jamil and his boys, national stars with football fans across India applauding their hard earned success.
When asked of his most memorable achievement, William acknowledges his Santosh Trophy victory with the Mizoram team, “Being able to celebrate with my fellow Mizos was an amazing experience that will forever be ingrained in my memory.”
Title clinching goal scorer
William has a number of title-clinching goals to his credit. In 2015, Aizawl FC walked away champions of the Independence Day Football Tournament, defeating Bethlehem Vegthlang FC 3-2. Since the full time saw both teams tied at a 2-2 score, extra time was played. In the 111th minute, William scored the goal that secured a victory and subsequently the title for Aizawl FC.
In an Inter Branch YMA Tournament held the same year, William led his team Armed Veng to the final in which they battled Lengpui. William displayed his goal-scoring skill in the 21st minute scoring the goal that saw them through to the final whistle, ensuring that the trophy goes home with them.
.@AizawlFC William Lalnunfela. Just goes to show that you can climb the leagues with the same personnel if the basics are right. 2/n
— Arka Bhattacharya (@Heilige_Kugel) April 30, 2017
And the last, for now, and most famous of his goals was against Shillong Lajong FC on April 30. Though his goal was an equaliser and not a winning goal for the match, it gave Aizawl FC the only point they needed to be champions of the I-League. The value of that goal is not to be measured just in terms of the point or trophy it earned, but also by the joy it brought to the hearts of thousands and thousands of Aizawl FC fans.
The remarkable fact about William is that he has lifted a trophy every year since 2013, unarguably rendering him a trophy specialist.
Trophies earned by William Lalnunfela
- Mizoram Premier League (3) : 2013–14, 2014-15, 2015-16
- MFA Super Cup : 2015
- MFA Cup
- Independence Day Football Tournament : 2015
- Dr. T Ao Football Championship : 2014
- National Games : 2015
- Santosh Trophy : 2014
- Central YMA Football Tournament : 2015
- I-League 2nd Division : 2014
- Hero I-League : 2017
- Inter-District High School Sports