Alaaeddine Ajaraie picked up right where he left off, scoring a sensational hat-trick as NorthEast United FC began their Durand Cup title defence with a commanding 3-1 victory over Malaysian Armed Forces at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday.

The ISL 2024-25 Golden Boot winner struck a quick-fire brace in the first half (23’, 29’) before sealing his treble in the 70th minute, ensuring a strong start to the Highlanders' campaign.

Head coach Juan Pedro Benali handed debuts to midfielders Andy Rodriguez and Lalbiakdika Vanlalvunga in the season opener. The experienced Rodriguez, 35, impressed on his first start, dictating the tempo of the game alongside Mayakkannan in midfield.

NorthEast United started on the front foot, controlling possession from the outset. Their early pressure paid off in the 23rd minute when Rodriguez won the ball in midfield and played a perfectly timed through ball to Ajaraie, who calmly dinked it over the onrushing goalkeeper to open the scoring.

Just six minutes later, Rodriguez once again won possession, and the ball eventually found debutant Lalbiakdika. He released Ajaraie down the right and made a run forward, but couldn’t reach the return pass. Jithin MS latched onto the loose ball, danced around the goalkeeper and unselfishly squared it for Ajaraie to tap in from close range.

The Highlanders went into the break with a well-deserved two-goal cushion. After the interval, Benali rotated his squad, bringing on Asheer Akhtar for captain Michel Zabaco. Further debuts were handed to Chema Nunez and Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia, who replaced Lalbiakdika and Jithin MS, respectively.

Around the hour mark, Macarton Nickson was introduced along with Spanish winger Jairo Samperio, who also made his club debut. Macarton made an immediate impact, collecting the ball in midfield and switching play to Ajaraie. The Moroccan forward cut inside, feinted a right-footed shot, wrong-footed his marker, and planted a left-footed finish into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick in style.

In the closing stages, debutants Jairo and Lalrinzuala came close to scoring. Jairo’s curling effort crashed against the crossbar, while Lalrinzuala’s powerful strike was denied by the goalkeeper at point-blank range.

NorthEast United FC will next face local side Shillong Lajong FC on August 8 in their second Group E fixture.