Ashfaq ‘Dhagandey’ undergoes knee surgery, expected to return in two months

Maldivian football star Ali Ashfaq (Dhagandey) has undergone surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out of field for around two months.

The New Radiant forward underwent meniscus surgery at Tree Top Hospital yesterday after continued pain from a long-term injury.

Ashfaq had previously undergone ACL surgery in India in September last year to treat a knee problem that has troubled him for around six years.

Although he recovered enough to feature in several tournaments and signed a two-year contract with New Radiant ahead of the First Division season, his knee pain persisted.

He was on the bench for the club’s first two Dhivehi Premier League matches, and head coach Ali Suzain had initially expected him to return after the international break

“We tried to get him fit without another operation, but that didn’t work, so he had to undergo meniscus surgery,” Suzain said.

Speaking to Mihaaru News, Ashfaq said he aims to make a full recovery this time.

“This time, we’ll try to recover completely and be fully fit,” he said.

In recent years, Ashfaq has played through injury for both club and country, including the 2021 SAFF Championship held in Male'.

His condition worsened in early 2022, forcing him to stop playing at club level after an opening match for Valencia, although he continued representing the national team that year.

He later trained under running coach Nasrulla Ahmed to regain fitness and went on to play for Super United Sports (SUS) in 2023. However, he sustained another knee injury during the President’s Cup that April.

Now 40, Ashfaq, who began his career at Valencia in 2001 at the age of 16, is nearing the end of an illustrious playing career.

Before he hangs up his boots, however, he hopes to return to competitive football once more.

Ashfaq captained the Maldives to their 2008 SAFF Championship victory and has won the Best Player and Golden Boot awards a record number of times. His goal scoring record remains among the best in South Asia.