Reigning champions Maziya opened their Presidents Cup campaign with a 1–0 win over Buru Sports at the National Football Stadium on Tuesday evening, days after securing the Dhivehi Premier League title.
Maziya, who also won the 2023 Presidents Cup, entered the tournament as defending champions and made a strong start in Group One, which also includes Buru and Victory.
The decisive goal came in the 19th minute through Azerbaijani midfielder Nazim Mamadzadeh. After Ahmed Aiham delivered a corner, Maziya captain Samooh Ali headed the ball across the face of goal, leaving Mamadzadeh unmarked to slide home from close range.
Buru pushed to equalize late in the match, but Maziya’s defense held firm.
This year’s Presidents Cup features two groups of three teams. Group One consists of Maziya, Buru and Victory, while Group Two includes Odi Sports, New Radiant and Eagles.
Maziya, Odi Sports, New Radiant and Buru qualified as the top four teams in the league, while Victory and Eagles secured their places through qualifying matches among the top-four sides.
In Group Two on Tuesday night, Odi Sports and New Radiant played out a 1–1 draw.
New Radiant took the lead in the first half through Liberian forward Abdulai Bility, who struck a powerful effort from outside the penalty area.
Odi responded in the second half, with captain Mohamed Rasheed, known as Hokay, scoring the equaliser to earn a point.
Upcoming fixtures (13 February 2026)
- Group Two: New Radiant v Club Eagles – evening
- Group One: Round Sports Club v Victory – night
