Victory Coach Sobah Attacked

In a disturbing turn of events during the second division football tournament match between Kuda Henveiru and Victory, Victory Coach Sobah Mohamed Ibrahim faced a violent attack, disrupting the game in its final minutes.

After the 82nd minute, supporters of Kuda Henveiru entered the ground's compound area, creating tensions that escalated when one of the protesters slapped Coach Sobah on the face. The match couldn't proceed further due to the violence, leaving officials to decide later on whether to resume the last 10 minutes.

The outbreak of violence occurred when Anatoly from Victory was handed a yellow card instead of a red card after deliberately kicking Mohamed Hajim Riffath in response to a foul committed by Hajim. This incident bears resemblance to last year's clashes in the second division, leading to match cancellations. With Victory holding a 3-1 lead, the recent match was prematurely terminated, and the emergency committee is set to determine the final outcome.

"The decision on the match will be taken by the emergency committee," Deputy General Secretary Abdulla Shibau said.

"The tournament's emergency committee will meet and then take a call on the match. The decision will be shared with the media," Shiba said on FAM's media group.

Similarly, the second division witnessed a significant confrontation last year involving Buru Sports and Teenage. The match referee faced an attack during the altercation, leading to the match being called off in its final moments due to a lack of resolution. Subsequently, a decision was made to forego the remainder of the game.

In response to the incident, Coach Sobah expressed disbelief, stating that such occurrences were unprecedented in Maldives football. As a coach, he emphasized the responsibility to protect players and lamented the unfortunate turn of events during his 15 years in football.

"The instances when I got the most fan support occurred during my days as a player. I've witnessed such intense rivalries in club football matches where the entire field was packed. However, never before has it escalated to such an extent," remarked Sobah, who had previously served as the team captain.

"As a coach, safeguarding my players is a fundamental responsibility. I've never encountered such a situation during my playing days or throughout my coaching career. It's truly disheartening," expressed Soba following the match.

The match, marked by violence, was called off with just eight minutes remaining, adding to the growing concerns about the state of football in the country.