| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10 January – 21 May 2006 |
| Champions | Mahindra United 1st NFL title 1stIndian title |
| Runner up | East Bengal |
| Relegated | |
| AFC Cup |
|
| Matches | 81[1] |
| Top goalscorer | Ranti Martins (13 goals) |
| Biggest home win |
|
| Biggest away win | Mohammedan Sporting 0–5 Mahindra United (5 May 2006)[7] |
| Highest scoring | East Bengal 5–3 Dempo (26 March 2006)[8] |
2006–07 → | |
The2005–06 National Football League, also known as theONGC National Football League for sponsorship reasons,[1] was the tenth season of theNational Football League, the top Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its inception in 1996. It started on 10 January 2006 and concluded on 21 May.[9]
East Bengal'sBhaichung Bhutia was named the best player of the league.[1]
It was contested by 10 teams, andMahindra United won the championship under the coach Derrick Pereira and this was their first title. East Bengal came second while Mohun Bagan came as third. Fransa Pax and Salgaocar were relegated from the National Football League 2006-07.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahindra United | 17 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 27 | 13 | +14 | 36 | Champions |
| 2 | East Bengal | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 31 | |
| 3 | Mohun Bagan | 17 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 30 | |
| 4 | Sporting Goa | 17 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 25 | |
| 5 | Dempo | 17 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 22 | +7 | 25 | |
| 6 | JCT Mills | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 20 | |
| 7 | Air India | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 22 | −6 | 19 | |
| 8 | Mohammedan Sporting | 17 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 25 | −14 | 17 | |
| 9 | Salgaocar | 17 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 29 | −14 | 12 | Relegated |
| 10 | Fransa Pax | 9 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 4 |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ranti Martins | Dempo | 13 |
| 2 |  Bhaichung Bhutia | East Bengal | 12 |
| 3 | Dudu Omagbemi | Sporting Goa | 9 |
| 4 |  Yusif Yakubu | Mahindra United | 8 |
| 5 | Chidi Edeh | Sporting Goa | 7 |
| 6 |  José Ramirez Barreto | Mahindra United | 6 |
| 7 | Bashiree Mohammed | Air India | 4 |
| Roberto Mendes Silva | Dempo | ||
| Parveen Kumar | JCT | ||
| Shanmugam Venkatesh | Mahindra United |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranti Martins | Dempo | Mahindra United | 3–4 (H) | 17 January 2006 | [11] |
| Bhaichung Bhutia | East Bengal | Sporting Clube | 4–3 (H) | 18 March 2006 | [12] |
| Dudu Omagbemi | Sporting Clube | Mohammedan Sporting | 4–1 (H) | 8 April 2006 | [5] |
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the season. Mohun Bagan'sBhaichung Bhutia was voted the best player of the season by the coaches and captains of all participating teams of the season. JCT Mills received the fairplay award for receiving the lowest number ofcards (8).[1]
| Award | Recipient[1] | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Best Player | Bhaichung Bhutia | Mohun Bagan |
| Best Midfielder | Shanmugam Venkatesh | Mahindra United |
| Best Goalkeeper | Sandip Nandy | Mahindra United |
| Best Defender | Mahesh Gawli | Mahindra United |
| Fair Play | JCT Mills | |
