NorthEast United FC securing the signature of Alaaeddine Ajaraie before the current Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season certainly aroused excitement, but only few could have predicted the superlative impact he was to have in the league. As the Highlanders sit at the fourth spot with 32 points after 21 games, Ajaraie has not only rewritten club history but also positioned himself amongst some of the greatest strikers in the ISL history on the back of his goal-scoring heroics. With three games remaining, the club is arguably one of the key contenders to finish in the top-six. The last time they qualified for the playoffs was on the back of a third-placed finish in ISL 2020-21.
In 21 appearances, Ajaraie has scored 20 goals, breaking the all-time record for the most strikes in a single ISL campaign, a feat that was formerly held by Ferran Corominas (2017-18) and Bartholomew Ogbeche (2021-22) with 18 goals. His 25 goal contributions thus far are the most by a player in a single season, beating Coro’s achievements from the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns (23). It is also the most count that any player has directly contributed in a goal in their debut season in the ISL. These remarkable numbers have placed him in elite company of the ISL and also made him statistically the most prolific forward in a single campaign for the Highlanders.
Ajaraie’s consistency upfront speaks volumes, since his six braces have surpassed the most by any striker in a season, which was by Coro (5) in 2018-19. His standout phase in the current edition was a brief period between September-November 2024, when Ajaraie found the back of the net in eight consecutive encounters. This stretch tied him with Kalu Uche (January-March 2018) for the longest goal-scoring streak in the ISL. He also became the fastest player to reach 15 ISL goals, doing so in 15 games, one quicker than what Coro had done.
“For me, Ajaraie is like Sergio Aguero
”NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali has been one of the foremost believers in Ajaraie’s talent. Speaking about the Moroccan forward during the recent ‘In The Stands’ episode, Benali revealed how he had tracked Ajaraie long before his arrival in the ISL.
“Last season, in the pre-season, Mandar (Tamhane) and I were talking, and I told him about Ajaraie, saying, ‘He is like Sergio Aguero.’ For me, he is one of the smartest players,” Benali said.
Ajaraie has also been instrumental from a playmaking perspective for the Juan Pedro Benali-coached unit. His assist against FC Goa on January 14, 2025, was his 20th goal contribution in the league. It made him the fastest player to scale this peak in the league, beating Coro’s previous best of 17 games, reiterating his stature as an all-round influence in the frontline.
As the ISL 2024-25 season embarks on its final couple of months, all eyes will be on Ajaraie to see if he breaks even more records and takes NorthEast United FC to a positive finish, with sealing the playoffs qualification being their primary objective as of now. His transfer to the Highlanders was a game-changer for the team and the impact he his carved reflects the league’s continuously growing legacy of foreign stars leaving a lasting mark.
( Source: ISL)
