India vs Maldives: All time Head-to-Head record

India and Maldives will clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on 19th March

The Indian football team is gearing up for its next assignment, the crucial India vs Maldives international friendly as they aim to qualify for their third AFC Asian Cup tournament in a row. A rocky road is certainly in front of the Blue Tigers as they need to win their qualifying group which consists of Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Before beginning their AFC Asian Cup – round three qualifiers against Bangladesh later this month, India are set to play a friendly game against Maldives on Wednesday. Both South Asian teams are certainly no strangers to each other having faced each other 21 times.

Historic and recent games between India and Maldives

The first fixture between the two sides was played on 30th November 1987 as the Indian football team beat Maldives 5-0 on the night in the South Asian Federation Games. The Blue Tigers maintained their unbeaten streak for six games before losing 1-0 to the Red Snappers in the Golden Jubilee Tournament in 2000.

In terms of the SAFF Championship alone, India and Maldives have faced each other in the tournament fourteen times. Out of these, four games have been in the finals of the tournament. Maldives won the title in 2008 and 2018 whereas the Blue Tigers tasted victory in 1997 and 2009 against their rivals.

The most recent meeting between the two nations came in the group stage of the 2021 SAFF Championship. Igor Stimac’s India beat Maldives 3-1 on the night courtesy of a brace from Sunil Chhetri and a goal from Manvir Singh.

Also Read: What happened the last time Indian Football Team met Maldives?

India vs Maldives – All time Head-to-Head record

The head-to-head record between these two nations is dominated by the Indian national football team. At the moment, Maldives are ranked 162nd in the FIFA rankings whereas the Blue Tigers are ranked 126th in the FIFA Rankings.

Including all the friendlies and competitive games between the two nations, here is the overall head-to-head record:

Total number of games played – 21

Games won by India – 15

Games won by Maldives – 4

Games that ended in a draw – 2

How important is the India vs Maldives game?

The Indian football team didn’t win a single game in 2024, with their last win coming against Kuwait in November 2023. With the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers set to start in a few days, the Blue Tigers need to get a win to regain some confidence.

Manolo Marquez’s side have been boosted psychologically by the return of Sunil Chhetri. Goalscoring has been a problem for the Indian football team in recent games and hence this friendly match would be important for the coach to get an idea of his best eleven before the start of the qualifiers.

Another important point to note would be that the game between India and Maldives will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong. This venue will also be hosting the game against Bangladesh on 25th March. Hence, the preparation camp and the game against the Red Snappers should further help India’s chances against the Bengal Tigers.

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