City rivals Shillong Lajong FC and Rangdajied United FC will face each other in an intense Shillong Derby tomorrow at the JN Stadium here. Kick-off will be at 7PM.
Lajong started their campaign with a huge 6-0 victory against the Malaysian Armed Forces on Saturday, while this will be Rangdajied’s first match.
SLFC, last year’s semifinalists, got the better of Rangdajied in a 2-0 victory last season with goals from Kenstar Kharshong and Ronney Wilson Kharbudon. This win was important as Lajong made a run into the semifinals where they went down to eventual champions NorthEast United FC.
“Every match is important and a must-win game for us. Rangdajied is a strong side with many young and talented players, much like our own team. I believe it will be a good contest. A win will take us one step closer to the knockout stage,” said Birendra Thapa, head coach of Shillong Lajong.
On the other end Rangdajied will look to get the better of their archrivals. Not only did Rangdajied lose to Lajong in the Durand Cup last year but they were also beaten twice in the Shillong Premier League 2024 and the Meghalaya State League 2024 quarterfinals.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s match, Rangdajied head coach Aibanjop Shadap said, “A derby match is always special, no matter where you are in the world. We will give our best on the field to make our fans proud and aim for a positive result. But we know it will be a tough game. Lajong is a strong side with the experience of playing in the I-League and are better than us in many aspects.”
(Photo contributed. Rangdajied United players in training)
