NorthEast United FC midfielder Macarton Louis Nickson called up to national team squad for Bangladesh clash

Macarton Louis Nickson impressed during the ISL league stages.

Indian Super League (ISL) club NorthEast United FC midfielder Macarton Louis Nickson has been called up to the Indian Football team squad by head coach Manolo Marquez ahead of the Bangladesh game. The Spaniard has called up the promising young star as replacement for the injured Brandon Fernandes ahead of the crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers.

The 21-year-old-Macarton Louis Nickson played a key role in the Highlanders’ amazing 2024-25 ISL campaign. While making 21 appearances under head coach Juan Pedro Benali this season, Nickson managed to score two goals and an assist.

NorthEast United FC youngster Macarton Louis Nickson has also joined the Indian Football Team camp in Shillong!#IndianFootball #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers #IndiavsBangladesh pic.twitter.com/OnqXnz5lmr

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) March 22, 2025

However, his influence in the Highlanders’ attack cannot be understated and seems to have been recognized by Marquez.

NorthEast United FC continues to deliver national team-level talent

The Highlanders had a superb end to their impressive regular season campaign winning three of their last five games. Despite finishing level on points with Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC, the head-to-head record against Bengaluru FC saw them finish fourth in the league standings.

NorthEast United also managed to qualify for the ISL playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The season has also witnessed the club promoting a lot of promising young Indian players like Parthib Gogoi, Jithin M.S. and Louis Nickson.

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Macarton Louis Nickson joins Udanta Singh as the latest addition

The Highlanders midfielder becomes the second Indian player to be called up to the national team in recent weeks after their 3-0 win over the Maldives. Udanta Singh was called up by Manolo Marquez to the national team after Brandon Fernandes’ unfortunate injury during their last game.

Both players will be keen to hit the ground running and make this golden opportunity with the Blue Tigers count. The Spaniard has placed a lot of faith in Udanta and Macarton Louis Nickson with a crucial qualification round in the upcoming months for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

With the game against Bangladesh fast approaching, Manolo Marquez and his Blue Tigers will be keen to kick of the qualifiers with a win. While they will be facing a challenging Bengal Tigers lineup, the young Indian talent will be keen to make that dream start a reality.

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