National team camps in Japan ahead of SAFF Championship

The Maldives National Team has departed to Japan to camp for training for the SAFF Championship football tournament.

The national squad departed to Japan for training, which will proceed with the help of Japan’s Football Association for a period of 10 days.

The 30-player squad kicked off their training for the SAFF Championship, at Galolhu Stadium on May 21.

Following the conclusion of their training in Malé on June 4, the team will camp in Japan and set off to India for the tournament directly from Japan.

Ahead of the tournament, the Maldives’ team is also looking to play friendly matches. The team will depart to India on June 15.

The SAFF Championship is to be held from June 21 – July 4 in Bengaluru, India.

The Maldives’ team’s manager is Abdulla Shibau, with Francesco Moriero coaching the team.

Speaking to media, Shibau revealed that the team is ready to make the country proud and that the aim is to make Maldivians happy and proud.

He went on to note that the team’s main focus is to win each match one by one up to the finals.

The final squad comprises of 23 players, from five different clubs.

A majority of the players are from Maziya Sports and Recreation Club; 14.

The remaining players include three from Super United Sports (SUS), one player from Buru Sports Club, four players from Club Eagles and one player from Club Valencia.

The remaining two players are Ibrahim Usama from Buru Sports Club and Ibrahim “Ibbe” Waheed Hassan from Club Valencia.

The squad includes players who are competing in a tournament for the first time in the national squad. Football star and former national team captain Ali Ashfaq and Akram Abdul Ghani are not included in the squad this time round as they are currently unfit to play.

Maldives is placed in the same group as Lebanon, Bangladesh and Bhutan this SAFF Championship.

The next group in the tournament comprises of champion team India, Pakistan, Kuwait and Nepal.

Maldives is set to go head-to-head with Bhutan in its first match scheduled for June 22. The national team’s second game will be against Bangladesh, on June 25. On June 28, Maldives will go head-to-head with Lebanon.

This will mark the first SAFF Championship involving teams from outside the region, with Lebanon and Kuwait competing under a special invitation.

In preparation for the SAFF Championship, the football season was halted after three games were observed by each team in the President’s Cup and the Dhivehi Premier League (DPL).

Following these games, the national team coach, Italian national Francesco Moriero and his aides formed a squad comprising of 30 players.

India became the champions of the biggest football carnival in the South Asia region, the “Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021” after beating Nepal two years back. Maldives fell to the third spot in the league table after losing to India that time round.

Maldives brought home the championship for the first time in 2008. The country also brought home the cup in the SAFF championship held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2018. That time Maldives beat India in the finals.