India vs Maldives: First win in 489 days, Sunil Chhetri's comeback & other talking points

Sunil Chhetri scored his 95th international goal on his return to the Indian Football Team.

As the referee blew the full-time whistle and brought an end to India’s international friendly against Maldives on a cold evening in Shillong, the crowd went up on their feet and applauded both teams for a grand spectacle. The Blue Tigers returned to winning ways after more than 450 days and finally gave their fans a reason to celebrate. 

This win marks the beginning of a new era as Indian Football Team seal their first victory, under Manolo Marquez. Rahul Bheke broke the deadlock in the 34th minute and put the Blue Tigers in the lead. Liston Colaco scored his debut goal in his 24th appearance for the national team and doubled India’s advantage before Sunil Chhetri put the cherry on top with a comeback goal and guided India to an emphatic 3-0 win.

A much-anticipated win after 489 days of wait! Sunil Chhetri scores on his comeback, Rahul Bheke and Liston Colaco add to it as India claim a 3-0 win! #IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers #IndiaVsMaldives pic.twitter.com/brqW3tWPMP

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) March 19, 2025

On that note, let us take a look at the talking points from the game.

India’s first win under Manolo Marquez

The monkey’s off the back as India are finally up and running under Spanish head coach Manolo Marquez. The hosts have clinched their first-ever win under the Spaniard and will hope to build upon it from here on. The Blue Tigers have recorded a win in their fifth attempt under Marquez having played out three draws and a defeat in four previous outings. Could this be the start of something big? Hopefully, fingers crossed.

First victory after 489 days

Twelve games, seven defeats, and five draws later, India finally have a win next to their name. The Blue Tigers have pulled off their first-ever victory since November 16, 2023, when they defeated Kuwait away from home. India and its fans have been longing for a win for more than a year now and there couldn’t be a better way to bring an end to the winless run than this result. This win will surely go down as one of the most special and awaited victories for India.  

Chhetri is back and how

Sunil Chhetri returned to the national team after 286 days and played as if he never left. The skipper enjoyed a wonderful comeback into the set-up and has also brought back good luck for the Blue Tigers. He found the back of the net with a goal from open play on his second debut and guided India to an important win to kickstart proceedings in 2025. The 40-year-old gave everything he had on the pitch and led as an example for all his teammates.

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