We’ve been pleased to meet up with Bhogtoram Mawroh over a few cups of tea before Meghalaya State League 5 matches recently but held back on asking the question that was most on our minds yearning for an answer – When was he going write his next column? To our great joy he surprised us with one yesterday!
Finally, we have now arrived at the most decisive stage of the MSL. The semifinalists have been confirmed and, among the usual suspects, there is a dark horse that might win it all. I have not watched all the games but, from the few I did watch, barring some one-sided matches, I enjoyed most of them.
Among all the teams that made the quarterfinals, Maram FC were the only representatives from Garo Hills and their inexperience in playing higher-quality opponents was very evident. But this is the kind of exposure the team need if they are to improve. They have a few players who look ready to play for bigger teams and Bris Taro is the most outstanding among them. A tall, lanky player with good technique, he is someone the newly-promoted teams in the Shillong Premier League may look at as an attacking midfielder (indeed he has played in the SPL before, for Nangkiew Irat back in 2022). The team will hopefully build on this experience and return to the MSL next season to put up a greater challenge.
The other team that made it to the quarterfinals, for the second time in a row, was Rymbai Shkenshynriah from East Jaintia Hills. Unlike Maram FC, they not only put up a better performance but also made it to the semifinals (which they had also done in MSL 4) by comprehensively defeating Nangkiew Irat, scoring 5 goals against them.
Of the three games in which I watched Nangkiew Irat play, this was their best performance for me, until the second goal when their offside trap failed. The first game against Langsning, where they were thrashed 6–1, exposed the lack of pace in the team. They won the return leg 3–1, ensuring that the penultimate game against Rymbai Shkenshynriah — who had already defeated them in their earlier encounter — would be the decider. They looked really hungry at the beginning of the game, with Sangtijanai Shianglong orchestrating the attacking moves. It was good to see Sangti back in Shillong and I believe he is the only genuine playmaker around right now.
Meghalaya has a lot of midfielders who are good with the ball at their feet and adept at moving it around. But there is a lack of special players whose instinct is to look for gaps through which to thread the ball into the feet of attackers. Sangti’s first instinct is to create, but perhaps what hinders a player like him is his playing style. He likes bouncing balls off his teammates so that he can move into space. However, that requires a great deal of coordination and most teams do not execute it very well, except Lajong and, to some extent, Mawlai as well. He also appears a little lightweight, which was quite apparent in the first two games that I watched. But there is no doubt that he is a special talent and hopefully he can find his groove because we need players like him.
Nangkiew also have many experienced players like Ronaldkydon L Nonglait, Justerwell Tham, Nikelson Bina, Dibinroy Nongspung, Brolington Warlarpih and Restom Khriam in their team. The problem, however, is that they lack a settled tactical approach. Initially, Dibinroy played as the striker but later switched to defence, with Wallamsuk Nongkhlaw, a genuine striker, taking up the role. However, if they want to compete in the SPL, they may need another striker, possibly a quicker one who likes running behind the defence. If their midfield trio of Ronaldkydon, Nikelson and Sangti click, they can be highly competitive. But, right now, I feel the team lacks pace both in attack and defence, something they must rectify.
As for Rymbai Shkenshynriah, pace is not a problem for them and the first game against Langsning was a good example of that, with both teams playing at a high tempo. However, in that game, their tactic was to play long balls to the wingers and attack with pace. It was a good strategy but once the defence realised the plan it became easier to counter. Therefore, in the match against Nangkiew, they did not rely on a single tactic but varied their approach by also trying to bring Monush Lapang into play, asking him to win headers and hold up the ball to bring the other attackers into the game.
Rymbai Shkenshynriah are a solid team led by their captain Jeremy Nongtdu, whose gameplan as a defender was very simple — kick the ball as far away from his own half as possible. It is a simple but highly effective strategy. But what impressed me the most was the midfield trio of Rihokmi Tyngkan, Niponghi Sumer and Skilful Tariang, who, true to his name, is highly skillful. All three players are technically very good and, once the ball is at their feet, it is very difficult to dispossess them. The only criticism one could make is that they should be creating more chances given their technical ability. Maybe they will do just that in the semifinals, where they will meet Nongkseh.
If one were to pick the favourites to win the MSL trophy, it would have to be Nongkseh first and then Lajong. I would give Nongkseh the edge, especially as Lajong have been unable to beat them in their last four encounters, drawing two and losing two, one of which was the SSA Champions Cup final where they were defeated 2–1 by a late goal from Hardy Cliff Nongbri, the former captain of Lajong. The team has many other former Lajong players, like Kitboklang Pale, Sheen Stevenson Sohktung, Shano Tariang and Mebankhraw K Wahlang, along with experienced players like Banpynkhrawnam Nongkhlaw and Chesterpaul Lyngdoh. So, on paper, they are a superior side and head-to-head they hold an edge over Lajong. But once you go to the ground and watch the game, Lajong come across as the superior side, especially when it comes to the tactical side of the game.
Lajong play a very fast-paced game, with all their players being press-resistant, making it difficult to take the ball away from them. Their movement is highly fluid and there is rarely a bad touch or a misplaced pass. The latter is what makes an elite player and it is frustrating to see players from other teams regularly making a bad touch or misplacing a simple pass. Lajong have always done the basics right. The most outstanding player who embodies all of this is Riborlang Lyngdoh Lyngkhoi, who has been given a free role and plays like David Silva: small and diminutive in stature but possessing very good balance, quick feet and great agility around the pitch. He and Hamedamanbha Wahlang have brilliantly controlled the flow of the game, moving the ball expertly from defence to attack and recycling it again.
From the couple of games I have watched them play, Lajong appear to prefer playing with two strikers upfront. But, instead of playing the traditional role where one striker wins headers, holds up the ball, or flicks it on for the other striker to run behind, the two strikers split wide to run behind the full-backs. In the first game, Deibormame Tongper kept running behind Nongkseh’s full-backs, catching them out of position. The tactic was there for everyone to see and Nongkseh reacted very late to Lajong’s approach, allowing their strikers far too much freedom, especially in the first half.
Lajong do have some weaknesses that other teams can look to exploit. They have not dealt well with corners, set pieces, and crosses. Early crosses from the wings, with the striker positioned in front of the centre-backs and supported by attacking midfielders making late runs into the box, could put them under pressure. Lajong also press the opposition by trying to create overloads, which means spaces open up elsewhere. So, if the opposition can escape Lajong’s press, they have plenty of space to attack. And there is perhaps no team better suited to doing this than Langsning when they meet Lajong in the second semifinal.
Khlainpyrkhat Syiemlieh was quite annoyed that Langsning were sent to Mairang to play the preliminary round despite being the SPL champions. The ground was not the best and the chances of injuries were quite high. But, in hindsight, they got the easiest route to the semifinals. Langsning lost only one game and won comprehensively in the others. They were, in fact, the surprise winners of last season’s SPL, but their destiny to win the championship was secured when their players were jogging through my locality, thus imbuing them with good luck for the campaign. But on a serious note, they are a well-organised team, with every player fully aware of his role and responsibilities.
Langsning have a solid defence led by Altanson Kharmaw, whom Khlain has converted into a very effective centre-back. He wins his duels and his experience as a right-back allows him to play out from the back as well. Wallambok Dkhar is also a very composed defender. Langsning also have two brilliant goalkeepers in Rajat Paul Lyngdoh and Nister Roy Suting, who I believe could become the next Padam Chettri, the best goalkeeper to have come out of Meghalaya in recent times. In midfield, Dibormi Chanlang Ki-O Kassar has expertly played the role of a holding midfielder. He may look a little slow but has great awareness of his surroundings and rarely gets dispossessed. Then upfront there is Nelson Rymbai, the top scorer of the tournament, who has a powerful shot. The player to watch out for, however, is Kyrmenskhem Mukhim. He has a good leap, is very tenacious, and likes running at defenders at full speed. If he controls his aggression and avoids getting into fracas, he could be a real handful. Samuel Phawa, on the other side, is also a major threat and is among the top scorers in the tournament so far. An argument can be made that Langsning have not been properly tested so far and their match against Lajong will be their first real challenge. However, they were the champions of the SPL and that was no fluke.
For me, the final outcome of the upcoming matches will not be determined by the players on the pitch but by the coaching staff in the dugout. Bobby L Nongbet of Lajong and Khlain are among the three elite coaches in Meghalaya (with Hering Shangpliang missing out after Mawlai’s exit) and for many years now their tactical battles have determined the outcome of championships. They have consistently improved the teams they coached and developed many players, with notable names including Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Aiborlang Khongjee and now Phrangki Buam.
By winning the First Division, the SSA Champions Cup and the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament in Sikkim, Richard Nongneng, the experienced coach of Nongkseh, is trying to break into that elite group. His team have been dominant but, in my opinion, I still feel it is the players who have been more instrumental in their success than the coaching staff. The fact that they were late in recognising Lajong’s tactics was a worrying sign for me. Now is the opportunity for Nongneng to show that he also belongs among Meghalaya’s elite coaches. Or perhaps it will be Robert Biam who comes out on top, and Rymbai Shkenshynriah become the first team from East Jaintia Hills to win the tournament. For the neutrals and for the overall growth of the game in the state, that would perhaps be the most fitting outcome.
So, let us wait and watch.
(File photo)
