Sunil Chhetri, who is returning to the team, will be the center of attention as India plays the Maldives in an international friendly on Wednesday.
Sunil Chhetri’s Return to the National Team
This match is a practice game before India’s important AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, which will be held at the same stadium in less than a week. Chhetri, 40, came out of retirement earlier this month to help the team qualify for the tournament, with the match against Bangladesh scheduled for March 25. This friendly is also special as it marks the first time the Blue Tigers will play in the hill town, a place passionate about football.
This will also be the first match for India’s all-time top scorer, Chhetri since he announced his return to international football.
In the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Marquez 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’s 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 Spaniard.
Mehtab 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 Marquez, his first competitive match as India’s head coach since taking charge in July 2024 is just a week away. The friendly provides a valuable chance to fine-tune his team before the important match.
However, the Indian team is still winless under Marquez, having ended the year with a 1-1 draw against Malaysia in November in Hyderabad.
“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.”
Marquez also confirmed that Chhetri will be part of the friendly match, which 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 Marquez.
Chhetri retired in June 2024 after a successful international career, having made his debut for India in 2005.
However, he proved he is still a powerful player in the 2024-25 ISL, which has become his most prolific season. He has scored 12 goals in 24 matches, making him the second-highest scorer overall and the highest among Indian players.
Mehtab Singh on India’s Preparation for Both Matches
Mehtab, who has helped the Blue Tigers’ defense 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 Maldives and then the qualifier against Bangladesh. We’re taking things step by step.” Ranked 162nd in the world, 36 places below India, Maldives are also using this 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 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 lately, 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.”
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