Shillong, Aug 12: Peerless SC, a club taking part in the Calcutta Football League’s Premier Division, has a strong Meghalaya contingent at work for them, with 10 players hailing from the state this year.
The 10 are Dawanchwa Carlos Challam, Ksankupar Khongmalai, Stephanson Pale, Donborlang Nongkynrih, Donlad Diengdoh, Raikutshisha Buam, Henry Marboh, Wanboklang Lyngkhoi, Nikelson Bina and Pynshongdorlang Shadap.
They’re not just making up the numbers or sitting on the bench – sometimes more than half the starting XI is made up of these Meghalaya boys.
Challam (pictured) has so far scored five goals for Peerless and bagged one Man of the Match award. He joined the Kolkata side from Rebels FC of Bengaluru.
Diengdoh, meanwhile, has scored three goals and picked up one Man of the Match award. Like Nongkynrih, Lyngkhoi and Bina, he came to the side from Mawlai SC.
A couple of others have also gotten themselves on the scoresheet – Pale (who most recently appeared for Ladthadlaboh SC in the Meghalaya State League 2023) and Buam (formerly of Rangdajied United FC) have both scored twice.
Peerless became the first team in 62 years outside of the Big Three – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting – to win the CFL title in 2019-20.
This season Peerless are currently third in Group A but have played more matches than the teams below them in the standings; the top three sides from each of the two groups progress to the Super Six round.
They’ve lost just the one match so far, to Mohammedan, but a few too many draws means that Peerless aren’t in as strong a position as they might have otherwise been.
(Indian Football Association photo)
