MUMBAI: The city will witness a new chapter in its sporting history when it hosts Puerto Rico at the refurbished Andheri Sports Complex on Saturday.
It will be the first international football match here in 61 years. The last time was when India lost 0-3 to the Soviet Union in 1955.
Head coach Stephen Constantine said: “It’s been 61 years I believe since Mumbai last hosted a match. This is fantastic…It’s long overdue that an international match was played in Mumbai.”
India’s top goal-scorer Sunil Chhetri too was happy. “The whole team is happy…To see the ground, the way it has turned out. I would like to thank the groundsmen because the ground looks good.”
Though the city has hosted Indian Super League matches, there is a buzz as Puerto Rico present India a rare opportunity to play against a higher-ranked opponent. This gives them a chance to accumulate more points and the possibility of climbing the Fifa rankings.