The national football team has departed for Bangladesh for the SAFF Championship starting tomorrow.
To prepare for the tournament, the Maldivian team conducted a training camp in Indonesia late last month. For the camp held in the country's capital Jakarta, national coach István Urbányi formulated a 24-player squad.
However, 23 players were taken to the SAFF Championship. Dropped from the squad was Buru Sports defender Thaoif Qasim.
In the SAFF Championship, the Maldives was placed in Group B alongside India, the champions of the last two tournaments, and Pakistan. Maldives will face Pakistan in their first match next Sunday. They will play against India next Wednesday. India has entered its Under-23 team.
Pakistan and India will play tomorrow in the first match of the tournament. The match played at the National Football Stadium in Dhaka (formerly Bangabandhu Stadium) will kick off at 2:30 PM Maldivian time.
Due to FIFA's suspension of Nepal, that country was unable to compete in this tournament.
Tournament match schedule:
- November 5: Pakistan vs India at 14:30 Maldivian time
- November 5: Bangladesh vs Bhutan at 19:00 Maldivian time
- November 8: Pakistan vs Maldives at 14:30 Maldivian time
- November 8: Lanka vs Bhutan at 19:00 Maldivian time
- November 11: India vs Maldives at 14:30 Maldivian time
- November 11: Bangladesh vs Lanka at 19:00 Maldivian time
Semi-final matches:
- November 14: Group A Winner vs Group B Runner-up at 14:30 Maldivian time
- November 14: Group B Winner vs Group A Runner-up at 19:00 Maldivian time
Final match on November 17 at 19:00 Maldivian time
Maldives' final squad for the SAFF Championship:
Goalkeepers: Mohamed Ashwan (Odi Sports), Hussain Shareef (Maziya), Mohamed Shafeeu (Victory)
Defenders: Samhooh Ali (Maziya), Hassan Eanaz (TC Sports Club), Hussain Shifau Yousuf (Victory), Ahmed Aiham - Aihu (Odi), Amdhan Ali (New Radiant), (Buru), Ahmed Maish Rasheed (Victory)
Midfielders: Ahmed Aiham - Fathoe (Maziya), Ibrahim Waheed Hassan (Odi), Ibrahim Aisam (Maziya), Nisham Mohamed Rasheed (Maziya), Ahzam Rasheed (Odi), Eithan Ibrahim Zaki (New Radiant), Ali Hamdhan (Buru Sports Club)
Forwards: Ibrahim Mahudhee Hussain (Maziya), Naiz Hassan (Victory), Ali Fasir (New Radiant), Mohamed Naim (New Radiant), Muzdan Hassan (Odi), Abdulla Looth Ibrahim (Maziya)
