The Meghalaya Football Association held a press conference today to announce the start of the third edition of the Meghalaya State League on May 5th. The league had been delayed multiple times since the latter part of last year for various reasons. In January, the draw for this season was held, with 25 teams divided into four groups.
Shillong Lajong FC, the defending champions, will be back to defend their title, although they had to qualify for this edition through the playoffs. The competition will be hosted in four different towns – Shillong, Tura, Jowai, and Mawkyrwat. This is the first time that Shillong and Tura have been included as venues.
The participating clubs have been divided into four groups of six, with Group B containing an extra team. Teams from all over the state have been drawn, with champions from local leagues receiving direct entry. Second-placed teams from prominent leagues also qualified directly, while other teams had to go through a round of qualifying matches. For instance, Lajong finished fourth in last year’s SPL and had to qualify through playoffs.
In the first MSL held in 2017-18, Niaw Wasa won the title, beating Tynrongmawsaw on penalties in the final on their home turf in Jowai. The second edition saw Lajong defeat Rangdajied United FC in Khliehriat, with the final being decided on penalties as well.