Shillong, Feb 4 (PTI) A new venue will be added to the Indian Super League (ISL) when Shillong hosts NorthEast United FC's 'home' match against Mumbai City FC on Friday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The football loving fans of Meghalaya have been waiting for this ISL's debut match with much anticipation.
The Guwahati-based Highlanders will also host Bengaluru FC and East Bengal at the same venue here on February 21 and March 8, respectively, as the fans look forward to witness Indian football's biggest stars, including Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Naorem Mahesh Singh in action.
NorthEast United CEO Mandar Tamhane on Tuesday shed light on how the club's move to Shillong came about.
"When we played the semi-final of the Durand Cup against Shillong Lajong here, it was an eye opener for me even though I've been involved in Indian football for over 25 years," Tamhane said.
"The online tickets were sold out in 12 minutes and there were 5km long queues for physical tickets. Fan parks in different districts were also jam-packed.
"We are a club representing eight states and we always wanted to bring football to parts of the Northeast. Seeing the response we got for the Durand Cup, reaffirmed our decision to come to Shillong this season itself," he was quoted as saying by the official ISL website.
He said the Meghalaya government extended their support to the move.
NorthEast United forward Redeem Tlang, who hails from Shillong, has been one of the ISL's notable domestic talents. With over 100 ISL appearances under his belt and having played a key role in NorthEast United's historic Durand Cup victory in 2024, Tlang is thrilled about the league's arrival in his home city.
"It's a very special moment for me personally and also for the people of Meghalaya to experience ISL matches in Shillong," he said "ISL is the top league in the country and to have it come to your home is an incredible feeling. People all over Meghalaya love football. Football is like a religion in Shillong. It's the first game that you play when you grow up here," said Tlang who began his football journey with Shillong Lajong. PTI PDS PDS AH AH