India will take on Maldives in an international friendly on Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match:
Key Details
Kickoff Time: 7 PM.
Date: March 19, 2025.
Venue: Nehru stadium (Polo ground), Shillong.
Where to watch: JioHotstar.
You can also follow along on our live blog.
The Big Picture
The Indian men’s senior national football team are back in action, and up first for them is a friendly against the Maldives. The big news, of course, is the un-retirement of Sunil Chhetri, and head coach Manolo Marquez has said that he will feature for sure — either from the start or the bench — on Tuesday. Why else would he have called him up seemed to be the unspoken part of that statement. Marquez also hinted at heavy rotation (not all eleven, but most) as he spoke about how this match is important, and that they want to win it, but the main target is the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh. Marquez, though, will be eager to register his first win as India head coach, with the Maldives game being his fifth.
Chhetri featured heavily in the pre-match press-conference as Marquez talked about why he’d called him (there’s no one better), how he knows Chhetri’s playing as an inside-forward (no Indian starts as striker in the ISL) and how potential options from the I-League are not viable (the level of competition is much lower in the I-League compared to the ISL) and that his form deserves a call-up regardless of age.
“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,” he said. He then added something that his predecessor Igor Stimac used to say often too, “The national team is not about developing players. Developed players have to arrive here.”
Maldives, meanwhile, come into this game looking to prepare for their own qualification match on the 25th, against the Philippines. Ranked 162 in the world, 36 places below India, they’ll be looking to test their readiness against familiar opponents. “It’s an important one since India and Maldives are two strong sides in this region. I hope it will be a good fight,” said Maldives head coach Ali Suzain.
Form Guide
(latest game first)
India: DDLDL.
They’ve also scored just three goals in those five matches.
Maldives: LWLDL.
Maldives’ lone W in their last five came against India’s next opponents Bangladesh in November, Ali Fasir’s goal giving them a 1-0 win.
Matchday minus 2️⃣������#BlueTigers #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tD2Kcnz2Xe
– Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 17, 2025
Players to watch
Sunil Chhetri
Who else? On 94 goals now, India’s greatest ever goalscorer resumes his international career after coming out of retirement on the back of his stunning form in the ISL. 12 goals in the domestic league have made him the tournament’s top Indian goalscorer (and second highest overall) and Marquez will be hoping he can add goals to a woefully goal-shy unit.
He may not play from the start, but Marquez has promised that he’ll get minutes, and once he comes onto the pitch, all eyes will be on him.
Ali Fasir
The Maldives’ second highest international goalscorer with 14 goals (after Chhetri’s retired contemporary and fellow goal-machine [58 intl. goals] Ali Ashfaq), Ali Fasir is the pivot around which the team’s attack functions. Currently playing at Maziya in Bangladesh, Fasir can play up top on his own or down the wings, from where he brings a potent goal threat.
Now 36, though, it’ll be interesting to see how major a role he’ll have to play in this friendly with the long trip to Philippines coming up shortly.
Team News
India will not have Lallianzuala Chhangte after he pulled out with injury, and he will be a big miss in the two matches this window. Joining him on the injured list are Ashish Rai, Jay Gupta and Anwar Ali as well as long-term absentee Sahal Abdul Samad. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is also missing with a niggle, although his form has hardly merited a call up.
Meanwhile, Vishal Kaith is expected to be given the #1 shirt for India while there are callups for right backs Valpuia and Tekcham Abhishek Singh, midfielder Ayush Dev Chhetri, forward Brison Fernandes and a return for Chinglensana Singh.
Oh, and, of course, Chhetri’s back.
Probable Lineups
Since Marquez has stated he will not go full strength, there might be some experimentation in the XI.
India (4-2-3-1) — Kaith (GK); Valpuia, Sana, Mehtab, Bose; Suresh, Jeakson; Boris, Ashique, Brison; Yadwad.
Maldives (4-5-1) — Shareef; Samooh, Sifaau, H. Hassan, Shifaz; H. Mohamed, Mahudhee, Nihan, Irufaan, N. Hassan; Fasir.
