President’s Cup set for kickoff as league front-runners charge into trophy battle
The President’s Cup was last staged in 2023, when Maziya Sports and Recreation lifted the trophy after overcoming Club Eagles in the final.
Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih presents the trophy to Maziya Sports and Recreation Club following their victory in the 2023 President's Cup. | President's Office
The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has finalized the format for the upcoming President’s Cup, one of the country’s most prestigious football tournaments contested for the president’s trophy.
At the 10th meeting of the FAM Executive Committee held on Thursday, it was decided that this year’s President’s Cup will be staged in a two-group format.
Under the approved structure, the top four teams from the ongoing Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League (DDPL) will qualify directly for the tournament, while the remaining two places will be decided through knockout matches involving the other teams.
The top four league sides will be seeded into two groups based on their current positions in the league table.
Further, teams ranked fifth through eighth will battle it out in the knockout stage, with the two winners earning places alongside the seeded teams to complete the six-team lineup, which will then be divided into two groups.
Once the group stage concludes, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the cross-over semi-final clashes will go head-to-head in the final.
FAM has confirmed that the President’s Cup will kick off on February 9.
The President’s Cup was last staged in 2023, when Maziya Sports and Recreation lifted the trophy after overcoming Club Eagles in the final.
