Police Bazaar is the busiest area in Shillong, the capital of the hilly state of Meghalaya. Amidst the daily hustle and bustle, Shillong residents are increasingly interested in today’s Bangladesh-India match. Although football is very popular and practiced in the northeastern region of India, India has not played an international football match in Shillong before March 19. Today at 7 pm local time (7:30 Bangladesh time), the Bangladesh-India duel in the Asian Cup qualifiers is a big occasion for the state of Meghalaya.
Today’s match is a turning point for both Bangladesh and India, as well as the people of Shillong. Football was at its peak in Bangladesh from the post-independence period until the nineties. In the last two decades, football was behind the popularity of cricket. The English Premier League footballer who played for Bangladesh as the whistler of Hamilton has revived that old love of football. The attention of the people of Bangladesh has been on the India match for the past week.
Bangladesh played in the main stage of the Asia Cup only once, in 1980. After playing in that tournament in Kuwait, they could never play in the main stage again. This time, there was a possibility because of the format and the opponents in the group. The addition of Hamza Chowdhury has given more impetus to that team. India is the top-seeded neighboring country in Bangladesh’s group. If they can get three points in the away match against India today, they will also be able to achieve the mentality of beating the other two opponents in the group, Hong Kong and Singapore.
India is ahead of Bangladesh in the rankings. With the arrival of Hamza Chowdhury, the value of the Bangladesh team is now much higher than before. At the end of the day, football is a team game. It is difficult to win a match with the special skill or brilliance of one person. India is quite strong in home matches there. Even then, Bangladesh can give some hope because the opponent is India. Because in the last two decades, even though they could not beat Bangladesh-India, they played every match as if they had won, sometimes drawing or losing at the last minute. When there was a fierce battle with the Chhetris without Hamza, it is not unreasonable to expect a win with Hamza.
There was a sponsorship crisis in Bangladesh football. Sponsors are flocking to the federation after hearing the news of Hamza’s arrival. If Bangladesh can beat India today, the excitement in Bangladesh football will increase manifold. This will interest all sponsors and supporters. It will also be easier for the new BFF committee to follow suit.
There has not been so much discussion about any match of the Bangladesh football team in the recent past. Under this pressure or for any reason, if the result in Shillong is negative today, there is a strong possibility that the old scene will repeat itself. Especially after Hamza’s arrival, despite the outpouring of love from the people, if the result is not positive today, a different kind of discussion may also start.
The result in the field can be anything. The result of a match can create a little adverse reaction or additional excitement, but if the process is not correct, its results will not be long-term. If the BFF does not learn from the lessons of the preliminary team selection before the India match, coming to India too early, the Fahmidul issue, and not being able to play real preparation matches, then there are doubts about football returning to the right path. Whatever the outcome in Shillong, we need to fix these issues and prepare for the remaining five matches of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Shillong match is an opportunity for a turning point for Bangladesh, as well as a return to the path for the host India. Just a few years ago, India’s ranking was less than 100. That India’s ranking is now 126. It won only one of its 6 matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Sunil Chhetri has led India for more than a decade. Although he retired last year, he has returned to the team’s needs.
Today, a lot depends on the Bangladesh match for Indian football. If they lose, even if they are the top seed in the group, their path to the Asia Cup will start with a stumble. India’s reign in South Asian football was unique. After a series of losses in recent times (except for the Maldives), a loss against Bangladesh would put South Asia’s dominance in jeopardy. And a loss to Bangladesh would be an opportunity to overcome a temporary crisis and return to normal.
