Maldives will kick off their first match against Bangladesh on May 9, followed by their second group match against Bhutan on May 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
Preparing for the upcoming SAFF Under-19 Championship has been a major challenge for Maldives as several of the team's key players will be unavailable due to their O-Level examinations, coach Ahmed Shakir said.
The tournament, scheduled to take place from May 9 to 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, India, sees Maldives grouped alongside Bangladesh and Bhutan.
The other group includes India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
According to coach Shakir, many of the key players from last year's Under-17 national squad, who also gained valuable experience in the SAFF Championship and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers were expected to play in the Under-19 team this year.
However, O-Level examinations coinciding with the tournament have forced them to opt out.
“About 90 percent of last year’s team is not playing this time,” said Shakir. “Only four of them can play.”
Among the players who will be absent from the tournament are forwards Mohamed Ilaan Imran, Mohamed Zeek, and Ahmed Kaain Gayash, all of whom performed exceptionally well in recent inter-school tournaments.
“They are very talented, internationally experienced players, and it’s sad that they will not be able to participate,” he said.
“It’s a challenge when you look to prepare well.”
Maldives national team began its training sessions on April 1 in preparation for the tournament.
Maldives will kick off their first match against Bangladesh on May 9, followed by their second group match against Bhutan on May 13. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
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