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2009 SAFF Cup Special: Know Your Opponents - Team Maldives
Continuing with our SAFF Cup special series, in which we profile each of the other seven teams in the competition, Goal.com's Amoy Ghoshal looks at holders Maldives...
02-Dec-2009 2:46:06 AM
FIFA Ranking: 146
Best Result In SAFF Cup: Champions in 2008
Result In Last SAFF Cup: Champions
History:
Maldives played their first international back in 1979 which wasn’t a positive outing for them as they lost 0-9 to Seychelles. They became a part of both FIFA and AFC in 1986. It took them a while to be successful on the pitch but there was no shortage of passion for the beautiful game in this archipelago. They only took part in the Asia and World Cup qualifiers from the mid nineties and at one stage back in 1997 they were placed at 183th position in the FIFA rankings. However they have always been consistent at South Asian level since making their debut in the 1997 SAFF Cup. They finished runner up in that edition and have always reached the semis at least in all the five editions which they have played. They won their first ever SAFF title as co-hosts in the last edition after beating India 1-0 in the final. Their best result at Asian level came during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers when they reached the second round for the first time in their history and held South Korea to a goal less draw at home. ‘The Green Heroes’ have never won the gold in the South Asian Games but have reached two semis. Maldives are clearly the most improved team in the subcontinent and their ranking of 146, which is currently the second best in the region, proves that.
Current Team:
The defending champions are currently coached by Hungarian Istvan Urbanyi and have jumped up eleven places in the FIFA rankings during his tenure. Despite the improvement in the rankings, Maldives will be disappointed for failing to make it to the final rounds of the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. The qualifiers were held in Male, Maldives but the hosts could only finish second in their group behind Turkmenistan and were runner up in the best second placed teams category also, so Bangladesh qualified. So they will be determined to put behind that disappointment and aim to become the first team since India in 1999, to retain the SAFF Cup. In terms of match practice, Maldives has probably had the best preparation as they played friendly matches against clubs in Bahrain, a Korean club side and then defeated the Malaysian senior and U-21 sides in Kuala Lampur. The squad consists of a number of players who appeared in the last edition and has a lot of depth compared to other teams in the competition. Unlike other countries of the region, Maldives do have the physical strength throughout the pitch, which allows them to play a power packed game involving long balls and crosses. They often play a three man defence with the experienced Abdul Ghani playing a key role in it. In midfield 2008 SAFF Cup final hero Mukhtar Naseer is a very talented player and has the ability to become a complete midfielder. Their real strength lies in their attack with forwards Ibrahim Fazeel and Ali Ashfaq having enough international pedigree. The duo is one of the best strike partnerships in the sub-continent so Maldives will depend heavily on it.
Key Player:
Ali Ashfaq – The skipper was adjudged player of the tournament in the last edition and that happened even though he didn’t score any goal. It clearly shows that he is more than just a goal scorer as he has the ability to make space for others and find teammates with accurate passing. He is definitely one of the best players at SAFF level so a lot will be expected from him in Bangladesh.
The Group:
Maldives and India are expected to fight for top spot in the group so qualification to the semis shouldn't be a problem. However anything less than a win against either Nepal or Afghanistan will be considered as a disappointment.
Verdict:
Maldives have always reached the semis of this competition and are expected to continue that this term also. The fact that India are sending an Under-23 team, might make Maldives the favorites, which will be a first so whether they can take that pressure or not remains to be seen.
Amoy Ghoshal
Best Result In SAFF Cup: Champions in 2008
Result In Last SAFF Cup: Champions
History:
Maldives played their first international back in 1979 which wasn’t a positive outing for them as they lost 0-9 to Seychelles. They became a part of both FIFA and AFC in 1986. It took them a while to be successful on the pitch but there was no shortage of passion for the beautiful game in this archipelago. They only took part in the Asia and World Cup qualifiers from the mid nineties and at one stage back in 1997 they were placed at 183th position in the FIFA rankings. However they have always been consistent at South Asian level since making their debut in the 1997 SAFF Cup. They finished runner up in that edition and have always reached the semis at least in all the five editions which they have played. They won their first ever SAFF title as co-hosts in the last edition after beating India 1-0 in the final. Their best result at Asian level came during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers when they reached the second round for the first time in their history and held South Korea to a goal less draw at home. ‘The Green Heroes’ have never won the gold in the South Asian Games but have reached two semis. Maldives are clearly the most improved team in the subcontinent and their ranking of 146, which is currently the second best in the region, proves that.
Current Team:
The defending champions are currently coached by Hungarian Istvan Urbanyi and have jumped up eleven places in the FIFA rankings during his tenure. Despite the improvement in the rankings, Maldives will be disappointed for failing to make it to the final rounds of the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup. The qualifiers were held in Male, Maldives but the hosts could only finish second in their group behind Turkmenistan and were runner up in the best second placed teams category also, so Bangladesh qualified. So they will be determined to put behind that disappointment and aim to become the first team since India in 1999, to retain the SAFF Cup. In terms of match practice, Maldives has probably had the best preparation as they played friendly matches against clubs in Bahrain, a Korean club side and then defeated the Malaysian senior and U-21 sides in Kuala Lampur. The squad consists of a number of players who appeared in the last edition and has a lot of depth compared to other teams in the competition. Unlike other countries of the region, Maldives do have the physical strength throughout the pitch, which allows them to play a power packed game involving long balls and crosses. They often play a three man defence with the experienced Abdul Ghani playing a key role in it. In midfield 2008 SAFF Cup final hero Mukhtar Naseer is a very talented player and has the ability to become a complete midfielder. Their real strength lies in their attack with forwards Ibrahim Fazeel and Ali Ashfaq having enough international pedigree. The duo is one of the best strike partnerships in the sub-continent so Maldives will depend heavily on it.
Key Player:
Ali Ashfaq – The skipper was adjudged player of the tournament in the last edition and that happened even though he didn’t score any goal. It clearly shows that he is more than just a goal scorer as he has the ability to make space for others and find teammates with accurate passing. He is definitely one of the best players at SAFF level so a lot will be expected from him in Bangladesh.
The Group:
Maldives and India are expected to fight for top spot in the group so qualification to the semis shouldn't be a problem. However anything less than a win against either Nepal or Afghanistan will be considered as a disappointment.
Verdict:
Maldives have always reached the semis of this competition and are expected to continue that this term also. The fact that India are sending an Under-23 team, might make Maldives the favorites, which will be a first so whether they can take that pressure or not remains to be seen.
Amoy Ghoshal
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