The 24-year-old Lalengmawia Ralte had won the previous edition's ISL Cup with Mumbai City at the Salt Lake Stadium, and has now helped set up Mohun Bagan's final meeting with Bengaluru FC at the same venue
Cometh the hour, cometh the Aizawl boy. Lalengmawia Ralte, or Apuia as he is fondly known, showed why he is considered one of the best Indian midfielders going around with a match-winning right-footed curler for Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League semi-final against Jamshedpur on Monday, April 7. (Highlights | Full ISL Coverage)
The 94th-minute goal powered the hosts to a 2-0 win that swung the tie aggregate to 3-2 in their favour, in front of a packed Salt Lake Stadium. The 24-year-old Mizoram lad scored a rare but memorable goal that drove the Mariners into the final.
Ralte had won the previous edition's ISL Cup with Mumbai City as the Islanders beat Mohun Bagan 3-1 in Kolkata in the final. Now, the enterprising midfielder has propelled MBSG into the summit clash with a superlative display at the very same venue.
Ralte first sprung into the limelight during the 2020-21 ISL season, when he was part of the NorthEast United FC squad. Apuia became a vital cog in the Highlanders’ superb run to the semi-finals under then head coach Khalid Jamil.
His 50 successful tackles in the edition – second only to Ahmed Jahouh in the league – alongside 46 interceptions, 23 clearances, 23 blocks and one goal had fetched him a well-deserved ISL Emerging Player of the League award. It also led to a call-up from the Indian national team in March 2021 as Ralte made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Oman in a friendly.
An adroit game sense plus some redoubtable defensive skills have been the hallmarks of the midfielders' game. These prodigious traits were noticed by many, including Mumbai City FC who picked him ahead of the ISL 2021-22 season.
In the 2023-24 season, Apuia appeared in 22 games for Mumbai City, scoring a solitary goal and providing two assists. He moved to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in June 2024, having made 59 league appearances in total for the Islanders, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
A new glorious chapter is being written with the Mariners, and the details of the final page will be known only after Bagan lock horns with Bengaluru FC in the summit clash on April 12, once again at the hallowed Salt Lake Stadium.