Shillong, Feb 17: The Meghalaya Football Association named its squad today for the upcoming 77th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy 2023-24 final round.
A send-off was held for the team at Third Ground, Polo, here today.
The team will be coached by Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh, who led the state to the final of the 76th edition last year.
The final round will be held in Itanagar and will conclude on 9th March. All the matches will take place in the Arunachal Pradesh capital’s Golden Jubilee Stadium. Meghalaya’s first game will be held on 21st February against Services.
The hosts, defending champions Karnataka and last year’s finalists Meghalaya automatically qualified for the final round. Another nine teams from the preliminaries join them. They are Goa, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Services, Maharashtra, Kerala, Mizoram and Railways.
The draw for the final round was held in November where the 12 teams were divided into two groups of six. Meghalaya’s competitors in Group A are Arunachal, Goa, Assam, Services and Kerala.
This year’s Meghalaya squad is quite different from that of last year. The players who are now part of Shillong Lajong FC’s I-League squad are unavailable and, with the Shillong Premier League being delayed again and again, there has been little in the way of match practice for the players. Despite this, almost the entire squad has once again been drawn from Shillong-based clubs.
Interesting other additions in the 22-member squad include Chesterpaul Lyngdoh, young goalkeeper Lionel Daryl Rymmei and Shaiborlang Kharpan.
Meghalaya squad:
Goalkeepers: Siwel Rymbai, Daraphun Talang, Lionel Daryl Rymmei
Defenders: Wanboklang Lyngkhoi, Donborlang Nongkynrih, Banskhemlang Mawlong, Brolington Warlarpih, Overkindness Lyngdoh Mawnai, Dawanplielad Myrchiang, Lukas Syngkli
Midfielders: Babysunday Marngar, Kitboklang Pale, Nikelson Bina, Damonlang Pathaw, Dameki Khongstia, Dawanchwa Carlos Challam, Robert Khongjoh, Baiaikara Swer
Forwards: Sheen Sohktung, Nelson Rymbai, Shaiborlang Kharpan, Chesterpaul Lyngdoh
Support staff: Khlain Pyrkhat Syiemlieh (head coach), Playerson Syiemlieh (assistant coach), Freddy Kharpran (manager), Lucky Mary Marbaniang (physio)
Meghalaya fixtures:
vs Services, 21st February, 10AM
vs Assam, 23rd February, 2:30PM
vs Kerala, 25th February, 2:30PM
vs Goa, 28th February, 7PM
vs Arunachal Pradesh, 1st March, 7PM
(Photo contributed)
