Friday night’s game will be the foundation for Maldives National Football Team’s future, says coach Martin Koopman.
Maldives is scheduled to compete against China at 10pm on Friday in the 2022 FIFA World Cup – 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. The game will take place at the Sharjah Stadium.
All of the remaining matches of Group A, which includes Maldives, are to be held in Dubai, UAE and Maldives in its match against Syria last Friday, lost with a 4-nil score.
The game against Syria was the national team’s first match under Koopman’s instructions.
Speaking to press on Thursday night prior to the game with China, Koopman revealed that this is not the most reasonable time for the Maldives team to be competing, owing to the situation the team is currently engulfed in.
Citing the two years’ of experience with China, Koopman said that this will not be an easy feat and that the match will decide the future for Maldives team.
Koopman went on to reveal that each match is an important one and that he hopes Maldives secures its win against China.
The coach noted that he will be satisfied even if the Maldives team is able to tie with China in Friday’s game.
In an earlier game held in Malé City in the qualifying rounds, Maldives faced an embarrassing defeat by China with a 5 – nil score.
Celebrated football star Ali Ashfaq and rising defender Ali Shamis have also joined the national team ahead of Friday’s game. Ashfaq recently recovered from the ongoing Covid-19 virus.
Koopman revealed that Ashfaq and Shamis may not be able to show their best performance, however, this may be decided once the situation unfolds.
At a time Maldives is aiming to qualify for the Asia Cup, the team is in the fourth spot of the group with six points from six games played in the qualifiers.
Topping the group is Syria, with 21 points from seven matches played so far. Tailing close at second is China with 13 points from six matches played and third comes Philippines, with six points. Guam is at the bottom of the group table with zero points.
