National football team departs for Sri Lanka ahead of clash

The Maldives senior national football team has departed for neighboring Sri Lanka to compete in two international matches as part of the South Asian Super Cup.

These fixtures, scheduled against the Sri Lankan national team, serve as replacements for the SAFF Championship, which was initially planned to be hosted in Sri Lanka this year but was later cancelled.

The national team left for Colombo on Thursday morning. Prior to their departure, Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu met with the squad to offer encouragement. Officials from the ministry and representatives from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) were also present to see the team off.

The Maldives squad will play under the leadership of newly appointed head coach Mohamed Shiyaz, a seasoned figure in Maldivian football. Training for the Super Cup began last Friday under Mohan’s guidance, with a 26-man squad selected for the matches.

Speaking ahead of the trip, Coach Mohan emphasized that the team’s full focus is on the two upcoming matches against Sri Lanka. He highlighted the importance of achieving strong results, stating that this is key to improving the current state of football in the Maldives.

The national team heads into the Super Cup on the back of a challenging run. Their most recent appearance was in the AFC Asian Cup Qualification play-off, where they suffered a loss to Timor-Leste. In fact, Maldives has lost its last five matches, including friendlies against Bangladesh, India, and Singapore. Their last win came in the first of two friendly matches against Bangladesh earlier this year.

The two matches in Sri Lanka offer a crucial opportunity for the team to regroup and regain momentum under new leadership.