By Bhogtoram Mawroh
March 2025 will be a very important month for all football lovers in Meghalaya. Shillong will host two international matches: either on March 19 or 20 there will be an international friendly to be played between India and Maldives; and on March 25, there will be the very crucial AFC Cup 2027 qualifier between India and Bangladesh. While India will play these two crucial matches in Shillong, which is a hotbed of footballing talent, there may not be a Meghalayan player in the lineup. Over the last few tournaments, no player from the state has been called to the senior team, and it doesn’t seem like this is going to change in the next two months.
In the recent past, Meghalaya had players like Rocus Lamare, Aiborlang Khongjee and Euegenson Lyngdoh, representing the country. All these players, though supremely talented, never had the long career that they deserved. Rocus Lamare was first selected by Savio Medeira under whom he won the 2011 SAFF cup. He also played in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. But after Wim Koevermans replaced Savio Medeira, Rocus Lamare found games scarce and slowly faded out of the Indian team set-up.
The appointment of a new coach, however, was a blessing for Aiborlang Khongjee, who got his debut under Wim Koevermans. But there was a change in the coaching staff again, with Stephen Constantine coming back for a second stint as India’s senior team coach. Like it was with Rocus Lamare, the change resulted in Aiborlang Khongjee getting sidelined. But the change was a blessing for Euegenson Lyngdoh, who got his break and became a very important member of the Indian team.
Such was the talent of Euegenson Lyngdoh that coaches and players remarked that if he was only younger, he could have played in the top leagues of Europe. A long and fruitful national and international career awaited him until a serious injury derailed the blossoming career. After that, he was never the same player and soon he was out of the Indian team as well. ‘Wrong place at the wrong time’ is the correct phrase to summarize the careers of these wonderful footballers. Since their career coincided, it is exciting to imagine the prospect of all three of them playing for the Indian team in the same match. Sadly, we never got to see that combination.
Meghalaya has got players who have been important players for India at the junior set-up. There is Halen Nongtdu who was the captain of the India U20 team which won the SAFF U20 Championship. He also represented the country at the U20 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in Kuwait. He then signed for Mumbai City, a club playing in the Indian Super League (introduced in 2013 as the men’s highest level of the Indian football league system). However, in this year’s ISL campaign he has not played even a single match and therefore it is highly unlikely that he will be selected for the Indian senior team. The lack of game time has also been an issue for other Meghalayan players signed with the other ISL clubs. The other players from the state currently in the league include Redeem Tlang from NEUFC, Aiban Dohling from Kerala Blasters, Padam Chettri from Mohammedan SC, and Samuel Kynshi and Ricky Shabong from Punjab FC. Among them, only Padam Chettri and Ricky Shabong have featured in ten or more matches this season.
Ricky Shabong has been a regular India international since his days playing at the junior level. Recently, he captained Punjab FC during the Next Generation Cup 2024 held in England, which had the youth teams of clubs like Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. After initially being loaned to Rajasthan United, he has now played in 14 of Punjab FC’s 18 matches, becoming a mainstay on the side. A future captain, he could very well be the next player from Meghalaya who might break into the Indian senior team. A player who will give him great competition in achieving that feat is Padam Chettri.
For me, the best goalkeeper from Meghalaya for the last decade and continuing, Padam Chettri played for Rangdajied for a very long time. He represented Meghalaya in the Santosh trophy and then played for Kenkre FC in the I League. Although the team got relegated, Mohammedan SC signed Padam with whom he won the I League and with it the chance to play in the ISL. In his first campaign, he has already played ten matches (two-thirds of the team’s matches). While he still has a long way to go in challenging a colossal player like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the current India number one, Padam Chettri has what it takes to go far. During the 2023/24 I League season, which Mohammedan SC won, Padam Chettri won the Best Goalkeeper award. I was very disappointed to see that his name is not among the list of awardees for the U Kiang Nangbah Award for Sports. Kmoin Wahlang, the 73-year-old international marathoner from South West Khasi Hills, is a well-deserving winner and should have got the award a long time ago. But given his recent achievement, it was the right time to honour Padam Chettri. Maybe when he debuts for the Indian team, he will finally get the respect he deserves.
The limited game time for other players from the state is clear in the I-League as well. Aside from Shillong Lajong, only Sreenidi Deccan (Emboklang Nongkhlaw) and Dempo SC (Knerkitalang Buam) feature players from the state. Lajong has a significant number of local players, and since their return to the I-League last year, several of them have showcased their talent for the team. The most prominent ones are Hardy Cliff Nongbri, Kynsailang Khongsit, Damaitphang Lyngdoh, Phrangki Buam and Kenstar Kharshong. These players share extensive experience, having played for Lajong in their previous I League campaign and subsequently for other teams. Damaitphang Lyngdoh is different in that he is a Bengaluru FC product having played for the youth team.
I feel players like Hardy Cliff Nongbri have been unfortunate, both with injuries and being overlooked by the Lajong management in previous campaigns. A consistently hard-working and creative player who always gives his all, he still has the potential to reach his destined heights. Kynsailang Khongsit has proven to be a very steady defender combining defence and attack with great aplomb. Damaitphang Lyngdoh has been dynamic while Kenstar Kharshong has quietly done his duty with little fuss. Phrangki Buam was once the top Indian scorer of the I League during the 2018-2019 season, and his pace and incisiveness is proving quite a handful for many defenders. The other players also played admirably, with Aman Ahlawat improving after a shaky start and Ronney Willson Kharbudon excelling in his opportunities. Lajong seems well-positioned for another season in the I-League next year, and if they can perform well in the upcoming away matches, who knows what rewards might await the team.
There are other players who I feel should have played at a higher level, I league and ISL. Among them, Brolington Warlapih and Kitboklang Pale are top class players who could have walked into any club team in the country. The way Brolington Warlapih reads the danger and leads the defence is an example for any aspiring defender to emulate, while Kitboklang Pale’s pure class and talent is out of this world. Both are still playing, but their career at the top is almost over. Brolington Warlapih recently retired from the state team while Kitboklang Pale is no longer the same player. If only they had left Meghalaya to pursue opportunities elsewhere and persisted, we might have had the pleasure of watching them play at the highest level.
This is something that I feel that top players and clubs from Meghalaya have to aspire for. They need to play with the best and against the best. The recent Santosh Trophy campaign where the state lost in Quarters gave a glimpse of the immense talent that exists in Meghalaya. Quite a few of the players playing in the present Mawlai team were in the state team and showed that, given the right opportunity, they have what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Since it’s looking like they might win the Shillong Premier League and the Meghalaya State League, I hope they will try to enter the I League with Bah Herring Shangpliang as the coach. People may not know it, but he was one of the first AFC Professional Coaching Diploma Coaches in the country.
Football has been the number one game in Meghalaya, but the love for the game has not translated to deserved success at the national and international level. Teams like Manipur and Mizoram have surpassed us in that regard. It is high time that the state gets it due recognition and the upcoming international matches are a missed opportunity. However, with the foundations already laid, the players, clubs, and state association must now showcase Meghalaya’s talent. I dream of the day when a player from our state captains India’s senior football team. Hopefully, that day comes sooner rather than later.
(The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect in any way his affiliation to any organisation or institution)