Maldives reluctant to play India friendly in Shillong, seeks change in venue
Panaji: Maldives have requested the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to change the venue for their international friendly against India from Shillong to any other place from where they can take a convenient flight to Philippines.
India and Maldives are both preparing for the final round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. While India face Bangladesh on March 25 in Shillong, Maldives are drawn to take on the might of Philippines in the group opener.
Early this month, AIFF announced that the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong, Meghalaya, will host the India senior men’s national team in the two matches that they will play during the March FIFA international window.
There are however doubts over the friendly with Maldives being played in Shillong.
“Rather than returning home after the game, Maldives want to travel to Philippines straight from Shillong itself but there are no good flight connections available,” a senior official told TOI on Friday. “They have informed AIFF that they will lose two days of training (in Philippines), if they go ahead with the match in Shillong. Maldives want the game to be played at a venue from where better flight connections are available.”
According to sources, Kolkata is being talked about as an alternative venue for the friendly, but there was no confirmation till Friday evening. While India should not have a problem with Kolkata, if necessary, the Meghalaya government – supporting the AIFF to organise the two international matches — might not be entirely pleased with the new arrangement.
“A new opponent is easier said than done. It’s difficult to find a team willing to travel to India at such short notice,” said the official. “The best option is to convince Maldives to play in Shillong as previously decided.”
This is the first time that Shillong was handpicked to host senior men’s international matches after the stadium was refurbished last year. The 15,000-seater arena has hosted matches in domestic tournaments and leagues, like Durand Cup, Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.
India have been drawn in Group C of the Asian Cup qualifiers final round, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangladesh. The teams will play each other twice in a home-and-away round-robin format till March 2026 with the group winners qualifying for the continental showpiece.
