Dhivehi Premier League returns after six years; first round fixtures announced

After nearly six years, the first round of the Dhivehi Premier League is set to kick off, with action resuming this Thursday night. The opening match will feature defending champions Maziya facing last season’s runners-up, Club Eagles.

Two of Maldivian football’s most iconic teams, Victory SC and New Radiant SC, will return to top-flight football for the first time since their long absence. Both clubs will make their league comebacks on Sunday evening, New Radiant will face TC Sports, while Victory will go up against Buru Sports.

Victory earned promotion after reaching the Second Division final. Initially, both second division finalists were promoted to avoid relegating any team from last season's first division. However, Super United Sports (SUS) withdrew from the league last month. To fill the vacancy, the FAM Executive Committee promoted New Radiant, who were considered the best among the losing semi-finalists. Tent SC, who also lost in the semi-finals, did not make the cut.

Odi Sports, also newly promoted to the top tier after reaching the Second Division final, will play their first Premier League match on Saturday evening against United Victory. Later that night, historic giants Club Valencia will begin their campaign against Green Streets.

The league will take a short break in October and November to accommodate two upcoming national team matches. The first round of the league is expected to conclude in November.

This season, the bottom two teams in the 10-team league will be relegated directly to the Second Division. The 7th and 8th placed teams will enter relegation playoffs against regional champions from across the Maldives.

The top four teams at the end of the season will qualify to play in the next Dhivehi Premier League season, which will mark the introduction of a home-and-away format for the first time.

The top four teams at the end of the season will qualify to play in the next Dhivehi Premier League season, which will mark the introduction of a home-and-away format for the first time.