Shillong’s tryst with football destiny tomorrow as India plays Maldives at JN Stadium
City’s ‘ground, crowd, atmosphere, everything is nice’, says Manolo Márquez
Shillong, Mar 18: The Indian senior men’s team will face Maldives in a FIFA international friendly tomorrow at the beautifully renovated JN Stadium here. Kick-off will be at 7 pm and the match will be streamed live on JioHotstar and telecast on Star Sports 3.

While it is a preparatory match for India coach Manolo Márquez’s side ahead of the all-important AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Bangladesh on March 25, it marks a historic moment as the Blue Tigers will play in Shillong for the first time. It will also be India’s all-time top scorer Sunil Chhetri’s first match since announcing his return to international football.

These two international matches will be the culmination of an extremely successful 12 months for the state in attracting top-quality football. It began with the prestigious Durand Cup last summer, which was followed by three Indian Super League games (with at least one knockout to be played here at the end of the month) and now the two international fixtures. The foundations, however, were laid several years ago when the state government took the decision to convert the artificial turf at the JN Stadium to an all-natural surface, a key requirement for ISL and international matches. Extensive renovation of the stadium, the support for five-star hotels, and other infrastructure have also played their part in attracting these events to Shillong.

In the pre-match press conference today, Márquez said, “It is the first time we are playing here but I have worked with a lot of coaches and players from here. I knew it was a very nice place. I remember when I watched the Durand Cup in Shillong last year, I said, ‘Wow, the ground, crowd, atmosphere, everything is nice.’ I’m not joking, I said it’d be great if one day, the national team could play here.”

Defender Mehtab Singh concurred with the gaffer. He said, “We feel great to be in Shillong. It’s the first time our national team will be playing here. The North East is known for its football fan following. Football is the biggest sport here. Taking football to diverse regions is a great thing for Indian football.”

For Márquez, his first competitive match since becoming India’s head coach in July 2024 is a week away and tomorrow’s friendly presents a great opportunity to fine-tune his team before the crucial fixture.

“It’s a friendly game to prepare for the Asian Cup qualifier. Obviously, we want to win. We knew that the target during the previous FIFA windows was to arrive in the best possible condition for the first competitive match against Bangladesh next Tuesday.

“I don’t think we will play with the same team against Bangladesh that will play tomorrow. Obviously, you can’t change all 11. Some will repeat on Tuesday. I’m confident in all my players. It has to be a good game and a good preparation for Bangladesh.”

Márquez also confirmed Chhetri’s involvement in the friendly match that will mark his 152nd cap for India.

“For sure, Sunil will play some minutes. I don’t know whether as a starter or from the bench. We can use six substitutions, so 17 players can play, and I think Sunil will be one of them.

“He is the Indian player with the most goals this season. It doesn’t matter if a player is 20, 40, or my grandfather at 87. If they are in better shape, they will be here. The national team is not about developing players. Developed players have to arrive here. The main team needs to win games. And if we need to win games, we need to call players who are in better shape,” said Márquez.

Mehtab, who has helped the Blue Tigers’ back line keep six clean sheets in 10 matches for India so far, said, “We have been practicing very well for both games – our primary focus is the friendly against the Maldives and then the qualifier against Bangladesh. We’re taking things step by step.”

Ranked 162 in the world, 36 places below India, Maldives is also using the friendly match to prepare for their Asian Cup qualifier against the Philippines next Tuesday.

Maldives head coach Ali Suzain said, “Thank you for the hospitality here. We’re playing the Philippines on the 25th, so it’s a preparation match for us. But it’s an important one since India and Maldives are two strong sides in this region. I hope it will be a good fight.

“Although we haven’t played much at the international level these days, I have been with these players for a long time. I know them very well and I know their strengths and weaknesses and how to work on them. The players also have confidence in me. Maldives is a football country. Every island has football pitches. We will give our best for the people of Maldives.”