Maldives defeats Sri Lanka in South Asian Super Cup opener

The Maldives senior national football team secured a commanding 3–0 victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the South Asian Super Cup, held Saturday evening in Colombo.

The Maldivian team dominated the game from the outset, netting two goals in the first half and sealing the win with a third in stoppage time.

Midfielder Naiz Hassan opened the scoring in the 28th minute, heading home a well-placed corner from Ibrahim Aisham to give the Maldives an early lead. The advantage was doubled shortly after, when striker Ibrahim Mahudhee found the back of the net in the 35th minute, putting the visitors firmly in control before halftime.

In the dying moments of the match, substitute Ali Fasir, more commonly known as Sentey, added a third goal in stoppage time. The opportunity was created by promising youngster Mohamed Ilaan Imran, whose assist set up a clinical finish to seal the 3–0 win.

The victory marks a positive start to a new era under recently appointed head coach Mohamed “Mohan” Shiyaz. It also ends a difficult run for the Maldives, who had lost five consecutive matches prior to Saturday’s fixture. Their last win came against Bangladesh before suffering defeats to Timor-Leste in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, and in friendlies against Bangladesh, India, and Singapore.

With this crucial win, the Maldives reignites hope among supporters and looks to build momentum as the South Asian Super Cup progresses.