Manuel is East Bengal coach

Former Angola and the Maldives national team coach Manuel Jose Gomes will be in charge of the East Bengal team in the upcoming season.

Manuel will replace Philippe de Ridder after the Belgian could bring about no change in the club’s fortunes in the last I-League.

Manuel’s deal was finalised after it was discovered that the Portuguese was a European Pro-License holder, which is equivalent to the AFC ‘A’ license.

“Manuel last coached the Angolan national team. He has also done exceptionally well with the Maldives national team. His appointment is an unanimous decision,” assistant secretary Shanti Ranjan Dasgupta said on Saturday. Manuel will be arriving in the city next week to sign on the dotted line.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Maldives Interested To Learn Malaysia's Sporting Success

Maldives, overwhelmed by the rapid progress of sports in Malaysia, are keen to establish cooperation in areas involving sports development.

National Sports Institute (ISN) Director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz said Malaysia's success in establishing itself as a sports power in the world, has caught the attention of Maldives.

"ISN look at their interest in a very positive manner and we are ever willing to share our experience and expertise with them towards developing sports," he told Bernama after receiving Maldives' minister for Human Resource, Youth and Sports, Hassan Latheef, here Friday.

Dr Ramlan said the Maldives government had also submitted a draft detailing their interest and cooperation with the Malaysian government.

The draft would be studied by the ministry of Youth and Sports, he said.

"ISN hope the cooperation will benefit both parties, especially in the development of sports," he said.

Source: bernama.com

Maldives run with the wind

The tiny Indian Ocean nation of Maldives may be more famous as an idyllic getaway than a footballing powerhouse. However, in recent times football has been taking an increasing hold in the archipelago. Maldives soared nine places to 149 in May's FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking courtesy of some inspiring performances in April's qualifying for the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup.

Although not the highest position reached in the global pecking order, [they hit 126 in July 2006] it is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement for a tiny nation where registered players number just a few thousand.

The country's current placing also indicative of steady improvement over the last decade, marking an improvement of 34 places above their lowest ebb in August 1997 when they languished at 183. Making for even more impressive reading is the fact that Maldives have leapfrogged the likes of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan to rank 25 amongst the AFC's 46 nations.

Qualifying near-miss
The Maldives stunned many onlookers last year when they defeated India by a solitary goal in the final to lift the 2008 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship trophy. Boosted by the unprecedented success, the islanders looked to transform their regional triumph onto the continental stage when they played hosts to the recent AFC Challenge Cup qualifying campaign.

Their ambitions, however, were dealt a serious blow when they suffered an opening 3-1 defeat to Turkmenistan. Under Hungarian mentor Istvan Urbanyi, Maldives bounced back to overcome Philippines 3-2 in the second game before firing five unanswered goals against Bhutan to round off their campaign in style.

Despite the two late victories, their opening loss to Turkmenistan proved fatal with the Central Asians progressing to the continental finals at the expense of the host nation. Of greater disappointment though was conceding the runners-up berth to Bangladesh, who narrowly advanced to the by virtue of superior goal difference.

Fazeel the talisman
While the Maldives had again failed to secure a maiden appearance on the continental stage their fans were there were a number of positives. Aside from the hosts side's excellent display, striker Ibrahim Fazeel displayed an eye for goal by netting four times to top the team's scoring chart.

The 28-year-old opened his account against Turkmenistan, pulling one back for the hosts after they were two goals down, only to see the strongly-favoured visitors coasting to an opening win. The Victory SC marksman was on target again in their defeat of the Philippines before completing a brace in their demolition of Bhutan. The other stand-out was captain Ali Ashfaq, who grabbed three goals in as many games as Fazeel's attacking partner.

In the centre of the park, midfielder Mukhthar Naseer, who scored the title-winning goal against India in last year's SAFF Championship final, further enhanced his reputation as a scorer of crucial goals by grabbing the winner against the Philippines.

With a steady increase in both talent and performance, the Maldives are proving more than just an irritation, a point borne out in their qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ when they held Korea Republic to a surprise goalless draw. Despite their near-miss in their AFC Challenge Cup bid, it seems that they are set to continue to progress and break new ground in the coming months and years.

Source: fifa.com

Sriwijaya FC Eyes Osaka Surprise; PSMS Ready for Maldives Mystery

Sriwijaya FC’s chances of reaching the Asian Champions League knockout phase are remote, but remote does not mean that it’s impossible.

Having suffered two heavy defeats, the Indonesian double winner faces its toughest test yet as it travels to face defending ACL champion Gamba Osaka at Expo ‘70 Stadium on Wednesday.

Regardless of the odds, Sriwijaya head coach Rahmad Darmawan said his side will complete its first continental campaign with dignity.

“I know we only have a slight chance to make it into the next round. And we face the toughest battle against the defending champion, Gamba Osaka, at its home ground,” Rahmad said. “But we have a serious intention to cause a big surprise by, at least, holding them to a draw and taking a point home.”

Just like the club’s trip to Jinan, China, for its March 17 match against Shandong Luneng, cold weather could be a factor. Arriving early could have helped the players adjust to the 17-degree temperatures, but financial considerations kept the team from leaving for Osaka until Sunday.

“I wish we could have arrived earlier, but I have to consider the club's financial burden,” the coach said. “I hope the players can adjust themselves quite quickly to the weather.”

Sriwijaya will receive a lift as first choice goalkeeper Ferry Rotinsulu returns to the squad. He is still nursing a knee injury, though, so Rahmad will keep faith with Indonesian under-23 goalkeeper Dede Sulaiman.

The South Sumatra-based club is last in Group F, having lost 4-2 at home to FC Seoul and 5-0 at Shandong. After its trip to Japan, it hosts Gamba on April 21 before rounding out group play at Seoul on May 5 and hosting Shandong on May 20.

In Wednesday’s other Group F match, Shandong hosts FC Seoul at the Shandong Sports Center in Jinan.

While its Sumatra neighbor struggles to make its way in the Champions League, PSMS Medan will attempt to continue its continental success when it hosts V.B. of the Maldives today at Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra.

New PSMS head coach Rudy Keltjes said he had little information on the visitors.

“I have no idea about the Maldives club at all. I met them at the press conference, and I could tell they have big and strong players,” the club’s fifth coach this season said on Monday. “I know they're just behind us, but we can't take them for granted.”

Rudy took over for interim coach Liestiadi last week. He said he would field his best lineup, including goalkeeper Markus Horison, who was benched against Deltras Sidoarjo after a shaky performance in PSMS’s 2-2 Indonesian Super League draw with PSM Makassar.

“Yes, I will put Markus back in goal. He's ready to get back into action,” he said. “But I still have a handicap as we don't have good goal-getters.”

PSMS is second in Group F with three points after its 3-1 defeat of Malaysian side Johor FC on March 17. V.B., which opened group play with a 0-0 draw at Johor, is third with one point.

After today’s fixtures, PSMS travels to Male’s National Stadium on April 21 to play V.B.

Hong Kong’s South China FC, which has already won 3-0 at home against PSMS and 2-1 away to V.B., hosts Johor today at Mongkok Stadium.

Source: thejakartaglobe.com

Stoikov Feels Every Match IS Tough

Former Maldives national football and New Radiant Coach Stoikov said that every match in the Wataniya Dhivehi League is tough and players have to fight at their best to win the match.

In an interview to maldivesoccer.com ahead of Friday's clash against the minnows, Kalhaidhoo, Stoikov said that the winner of each game is dependent on the person who is committed.

"If you notice the teams, except Victory all the teams are in the same level. The league is very competitive and there aren’t any easy games anymore. The players have to fight and be committed. The winner would be the team who is more committed and hard working", said Stoikov.

Stoikov also hinted that there might be 2 or 3 changes ahead of the game and there might be a shuffle in the midfield. New Radiant would be boosted by the return of their newly joined Liberian striker Puyol. He could not play against Maziya because the management did not receive his International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

New Radiant started the new season with a shocking 3-3 draw against Maziya. New Radiant and Kalhaidhoo game will kick off at 1600hrs MST.

Source: goal.com

Former Nepalese Coach Thomas Flath To Join Maldives?

Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has confirmed that they are in negotiation with the former Nepalese Football coach Thomas Flath for the National football team.

Flath was under eye from FAM after Nepalese team under him had performed improved game in the 5th SAFF Games played in Maldives last year.

In an interview to maldivesoccer.com, the current Assistant Coach of Maldives National Team, Saanthi confirmed that the negotiation process has been ongoing for some time.

"We are in the negotiation process with Thomas Flath. But we are having problem with the salary demanded by Thomas Flath", Saanthi told maldivesoccer.com. According to the official, Thomas Flath has initially asked for US$ 15,000 per month as his salary.

However, Saanthi confirmed that they have not stopped the negotiation process and is still trying to bring the highly rated coach in the island.

National Team's coach position has been vacant after the historic SAFF Championship. The cup winning coach, Joseph Jankech left Maldives last year, after the SAFF championship, claiming he experienced a very difficult time in Maldives. Jankech also turned down to rejoin the Maldives National team after his Club refused to release him.

Source: goal.com

Top ten Asian players of 2008

Asia Editor of goal.com John Duerden rates the best 10 Asian performers of the outgoing year...

10. Ali Ashfaq (VB Sports & Maldives)

The Man of Steel was once linked to a move to Europe and although it didn't quite happen, he hasn't looked back. Regarded by many in South Asia as the best player in the region, the striker is improving all the time. The 23 year-old shone during Maldives' recent South Asian Cup triumph and was named as the tournament's MVP. He wasn't ready for Benfica before -he may be now.

9. Ahmed Ajab (Al Qadsia & Kuwait)

The most expensive player in Kuwait history has enjoyed another prolific season. This is a guy who just scores goals. The 24 year-old only made his international debut in January and hasn't stopped scoring since.

Although Kuwait fell at the third stage of qualification for the 2010 World Cup, Ahmad scored six of the team's eight goals. He was the top scorer in the Kuwait league last season, scored three in the Asian Champions League and is on the shopping list of some of the region's big clubs.

8. Hong Yong-jo (FC Rostov & North Korea)

It is North Korea's defence or 'The People's Rooney' Jung Tae-se that take the headlines whenever the Reds do the business on the pitch. That backline kept six clean sheets out of six third round games but it is the presence of Hong that allows the team to play the way they do. Comfortable on the ball, intelligent in possession and handy from the set piece, the Russian-based star is one of those players who seems to have more time on the ball and brings others into the game.

7. Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic & Japan)

Not Naka's best season for the Bhoys but still pretty good nonetheless. Once again, his goals and assists helped the team to another title –though it was a close-run thing. Has struggled with niggling injuries and jetlag and rumours of a return to Japan have never been far away. It is a testament to his ability then that he still impressed.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada went to Bahrain without Nakamura, preferring to leave him in Scotland. Japan lost that game in March and Okada has not made the same mistake again.

6. Hawar Mulla Mohammad (Anorthosis Famagusta FC & Iraq)

Hawar and Iraq didn't quite reach the heights of 2007 but he was still one of the better Desert Foxes in the third round of qualification. Scoring against China and creating for others.

His year will best be remembered for becoming the first Iraqi to play and score in the UEFA Champions League. It was a breathless six games in the group stage for the Cypriots. Hawar was on the scoresheet on a wild Wednesday night in Nicosia as Anorthosis beat Panathinaikos 3-1. The Cypriots collected six points, only two less than Inter Milan. That 3-3 draw will also live long in the memory.

5. Server Djeparov (Bunyodkor & Uzbekistan)

Was named the player of the year by the Asian Football Confederation and Djeparov certainly had a season to remember. The cultured midfielder pulled the strings for both club and country. Uzbekistan stormed through the third round of qualification in impressive fashion – scoring goals left right and centre. The final round has not, as yet, been quite so impressive but there is still time.

The Uzbek player of 2008 also shone for Bunyodkor. He led the Tashkent club to the title and to the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League. Within two weeks of becoming coach in the capital, Zico declared his belief that the 26 year-old has what it takes to succeed in Europe. He may soon get the chance with a trial at Chelsea.

4. Javad Nekounam (Osasuna & Iran)

A serious injury blighted the first quarter of 2008 but on his return the all-action midfielder showed why he had been voted the player of the year the previous season by Osasuna fans. His return to action for Iran came just in time as he helped a stuttering team through to the final round of qualification. He is, as he demonstrated against Saudi Arabia, always liable to pop up with a goal at a crucial time.

Nekounam has been doing the same of late as Osasuna struggle to improve upon a terrible start to the season. If the Pamplona club survives, you can be sure that the Iranian man will have played his part.

3. Brett Emerton (Blackburn & Australia)

More column inches are devoted to the likes of Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell when it comes to discussing the Socceroos but Brett Emerton is as reliable a player as there is and is a coach's dream. He hardly misses a match, gets up and down the pitch in impressive fashion and even pitched in with a few vital goals in qualification. He helped Blackburn to a seventh place finished at the end of the 2007-08 season and has been one of the team's better performers in this campaign.

2. Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka & Japan)

The modest midfielder would not have imagined at the start of 2008 that he would be lauded by such figures as Sir Alex Ferguson before the year was out. The Manchester United boss paid tribute to the Japanese star before FIFA's Club World Cup and after. Endo's arrival on the world stage comes a few years after he first started getting noticed in Asia. He led Gamba Osaka to the Asian Champions League and was once again one of the best when pulling on the blue shirt of his country. He wants a move to Europe and he may just be about to get it.

1. Park Ji Sung (Manchester United & South Korea)

It is easy to forget that Park started 2008 returning from a lengthy and serious knee injury that briefly threatened to end his career. He was better than ever when he came back and had a season that is better than any other Asian.

Not only was Park instrumental in United's charge to the Premier League title, he was man of the match against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-final and played all 360 minutes in the last four and last eight games. The 27 year-old was left out of the final but deserved his medal. He ended the year lifting the Club World Cup.

Internationally was not bad either, he took the captaincy halfway through the year and led the Taeguk Warriors to a good start in the final round of qualification.

Source: sport.uzreport.com

Maldives FA Not To Discipline Players For Political Activity

Football Association of Maldives (FAM) has decided not to take any action against national team players who participated in the political rally of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)'s campaign launch ceremony last month at the Alimas Carnival.

Maldivesoccer.com reports that FAM did not send any reports regarding the players' participation in the campaign ceremony to its disciplinary committee.

FAM organized a press conference in Male to say that the players represented themselves and not the national team.

The body has changed its mind. Following the incident, a press release from FAM read: " The Football Association of Maldives does not entertain any kind of discrimination in football whether it is racism, political or religious. However, in a campaign launching ceremony of a political party, some players announced the support of the national team to the party.

"Hence, FAM will take action under the regulations set by FAM, against anyone who uses the name of the national team in political, racism or religious activity".

The players involved in the incident are from New Radiant and Valencia Sports Club.

Source: www.goal.com

Oppo Likely To Be Highest Paid Player

The man who scored twenty goals this time to top the goal scorer list is none other than Maldives hotcake Ibrahim Fazeel a.k.a Oppo, whose demand has gone higher in Maldives football.

According to the maldivesoccer.com, Victory striker Ibrahim Fazeel’s (Oppo) price has reached more than 400,000 rufiyaa per season. Victory is yet to come to an agreement with the prolific striker but the club insisted that they will offer him a price worth his caliber.

Oppo’s price was somewhere around 300,000 rufiyaa when he moved to Victory from VB last season. But there are also reports that said his price is now at somewhere around 500,000 and some of the bigger clubs are already lined up to get his signature.

Oppo happened to be the second player during this year’s transfer market that put a price tag of more than 400,000. Lately Valencia’s winger Mukhthar Naseer joined Victory at a price believed to be more than 450,000 per season.

Oppo is the only player to win the golden boot in three consecutive years with three different clubs. However the report suggests that Oppo expressed his desire to stay with Victory for another season.

Oppo came into spotlight in 1997 as a student when he was included in Maldives senior national team. After the studies he joined New Lagoons, a club later renamed to IFC, and then he made a brave move to New Radiant and enjoyed a historical season with the blues that reach AFC cup semi finals in 2005.

Source: www.goal.com

Iran volleyball team to face Maldives

Iran's volleyball squad will play against Maldives in the 14th Asian Junior Men's Volleyball Championship to be held in the capital Tehran.

Iran will compete with Qatar and Maldives in group A of the event. While group B consists of Japan, Australia, Kazakhstan, and the UAE.

Group C is made up of India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia and group D brings together Taiwan, China, Pakistan, and Kuwait.

If successful, the Iranian squad could qualify for the 2009 World Junior Volleyball Championship.

Some 15 countries will attend the nine-day event which runs from August 23rd to 31st. The match will be held at the Azadi Sports Complex at 5:30 pm local time on Saturday.

Source: www.presstv.ir

The Glory of Just Showing Up

Aishath Reesha, a 19-year-old 800-meter runner, had just finished practice at the Chaoyang Sports Center, a proletarian track sequestered from the Olympic mobs. She sat with her back to a recently whitewashed wall, an ice-pack on her neck, and watched as a French sprinter sped past.

"We can't compete with people from other worlds," she said in a whisper. "I'm not scared. My goal is to better my personal best."

Ms. Reesha is from Maldives, a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean with a population of 379,000, per capita income of $4,600, and a serious worry about being washed away. Her personal best in the 800-meter race is 2:32.97; the Olympic record is more than 38 seconds faster.

"We are not qualified for the Olympics," said her coach, whose name is Ahmed Faail. He was standing over Ali Shareef, his 100-meter runner, who was on flat on his back with a leg in the air. Mr. Faail was helping him work out a kink. "In the heats there are people with a lot of experience," he said. "We will not be winning heats."

For the richest, brawniest countries here, the medal count is all that counts. China, Russia and the U.S. are in Beijing to "win" the Olympics. But among the 222 countries that have sent athletes to the modern Games since 1896, only 130 have brought a medal home. The rest, like Maldives, march in the opening parade and then, after a few minutes -- or seconds -- in the pool or on the track, they're out.

The International Olympic Committee seems to commiserate with its medal-deprived delegations. For decades, it clung to the ideal that nations didn't play in its contests at all; people did. It began listing medals by country less than 20 years ago. Yet the IOC, in its own way, is also intent on counting countries: It wants every one on Earth to play its Games, whether they're good or not.

What's billed as a meet for the fittest in truth has a second division of schlumps. Every nation is encouraged with money and training programs to send one man and one woman, even if they don't have a soul who qualifies. The IOC doesn't tally how many of the 10,500 athletes here get in that way, but they appear to number at least in the hundreds. Most end up swimming or running, activities where being inept doesn't automatically result in broken necks.

Olympic universality has bred a line of famous bunglers, from Wym Essajas of Suriname, who missed his 800-meter heat in 1960, to Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea, who took nearly two minutes to swim 100 meters in 2000. Yet for all its promotion of participation, the IOC gives its losers no glory: Its history-packed Web site displays only winning countries and their medal counts.

Asked where to find lists of also-rans, an IOC press officer suggests sending an email to its information center. It's the sort of reply that's long griped a small international club of amateur statistics nuts calling themselves the Oly Madmen. Led by Bill Mallon, a shoulder surgeon in Durham, N.C., the Madmen have spent five years building an easy-to-manipulate database that comprises every run, jump, throw, dive and somersault in Olympic history. It folds in Hector Hatch's ninth-place welterweight boxing tie for Fiji in 1956, and the 51st-place mixed-free-pistol finish Aferdita Tusha racked up for Albania in 1972. The Madmen have compiled the records of 110,000 Olympic athletes and are at work on thumbnail biographies for each one; so far, they've done 24,000.

"It's one of those hobbies that becomes an obsession," Dr. Mallon says. He adds: "We tried for years to get the IOC to do this. They told me in 2006 that they'd look at it again in 2009. They're not going to look at it in 2009."

The IOC wouldn't say why. Dr. Mallon surmises that it's worried about accuracy. He says the Madmen are fact-checking nonstop to get their labors "as close to perfect as we can." In late July, they took their data public: Now anyone can play with it on the Web, free, at a commercial site: www.sports-reference.com.

A statistical juggle even the Madmen don't attempt is a medal count by wealth and population. At least one Web site tries it: http://simon.forsyth.net/olympics.html. Simon Forsyth, a researcher in Brisbane, Australia, began doing his medal math that way because he was sick of hearing that "the Americans won the Olympics."

By gross domestic product, his winner in 2004 was Eritrea; by population, it was the Bahamas. In the Beijing 2008 count for total medals by population, as of Friday the U.S. was 31st; China was a distant 44th. Armenia recently took the lead from Mr. Forsyth's own country, Australia. "Should you be proud that your country won more medals than anyone else?" he asks in an e-mail. "Sure, why not? Should you be proud that your country won more medals per population than any other country? Yes -- at least equally so."

Togo (per capita gross domestic product: $800) is certainly proud, too. Its slalom-canoe champ, Benjamin Boupeti, won a bronze medal Wednesday, the country's first medal ever. But by one essential measure, Maldives isn't pulling up the rear, either.

True, its one running track is made of soft sand, so it's no wonder Ms. Reesha and Mr. Shareef had modest hopes for their Friday morning heats. And in Maldives, the swimming pools are all for tourists. Its two 50-meter swimmers -- Ibrahim Shameel and Aminath Rouya Hussain -- couldn't have been anything but long shots in their heats Thursday and Friday evenings. At home, they've nowhere to train but the sea.

"I'm being a little political here," said their coach, Adam Mohamed, dropping by the practice track for a visit, "but there has been land allocated for a pool since 1988. It's drawings, drawings, drawings." Not that Mr. Mohamed expects much investment in an Olympic team from a country still in post-tsunami recovery. "The priority is to attend ceremonies," he said. "We are an unqualified country. The most important thing is to hoist the flag."

As things turned out, Ms. Hussain came in next-to-last in her 50-meter swim Friday evening, and didn't succeed in bettering her best. On Thursday, Mr. Ibrahim placed next-to-last in his heat, too, with a time of 29:28. But it was the very first time he'd ever raced in a 50-meter pool, so he can say that he did achieve his personal best.

On a sunny Friday morning at Beijing's Bird's Nest, Ms. Reesha trailed 30 seconds behind the field in her 800-meter run, and came in last against all 40 runners. But she still met her own goal, beating her personal best by more than two seconds. And Ali Shareef, running the 100 meters in 11:11 and finishing 69th in a field of 80, not only set his personal best -- he set the Maldives' national record as well.

But it's in flag-hoisting that this little country has scored its own personal best in Beijing. Anyone who sweated through the opening ceremony here knows how the fun faded as the parade of nations crept toward the two hundreds. Ms. Hussain was there, carrying Maldives' white-crescent flag and trailing a small, smiling contingent in long sarongs.

This time, though, they weren't in their usual place, way back among the M's. The Chinese-character equivalent of alphabetical order produced an upset: At these Olympics, Maldives marched seventh.

Source:

Write to Barry Newman at barry.newman@wsj.com http://online.wsj.com

Maldives' Reesha happy as a sand girl

Aishath Reesha of the Maldives, who trains on a sand track in her tiny island nation, does not care that she was beaten by nearly a half lap on her Olympic debut in the women's 800 metres heats on Friday.

"I ran a personal best? Really? I am so happy," Reesha told reporters, wearing a huge smile.

Her time of 2:30.14, an improvement of almost three seconds, still left her the slowest in the heats by almost 10 seconds and she was nearly half a minute off the pace needed to reach the semi-finals.

"How can I compete with these professionals? I'm just a young girl," said the 19-year-old.

Her only complaint about the Beijing Olympics is that the track is hurting her.

"This track is so hard on my feet. I run on sand, we only have a sand track," Reesha said.

Source: Reuters

Slovakian Team Interested In Maldives Duo

The Slovakian league side FK Dubnica in on the trail of Maldives duo Ali Ashfaag and Mohamed Arif.

nadey maldives ashfag & arif keep it up.dont miss this chance.go europe & show then your telent

Masood Maldives Ashfaq, you are the best! Go Europe and show them what Maldivinas are capable of. :)

yasrib forkland, maldives its really nice to hear. Keep it up Ashfag. You are a world class player. We are proud of you.


SHAHID AMERICA CALFONIA ASFAQ KEEP IT UP.U ARE THE WORLD CLASS PLAYER.U ARE THE EUROPE STYLE PLAYED PLATER.U ARE THE NO 1 IN THE ASIA.KEEP IT UP.I LOVE MALDIVES PLAYERS.KEEP IT UP YOUR COUNTRY.YOYR COUNTRY SUPPORTERS ARE THE NO 1 OF THE WORLD

paulo italy work in male maldives oh well i think thats great news for ali ashfaaq.for sure i saw how great he's played hes game. you knew i don't like asian foot ball but i like to see the games he play.good luck boy.

Mohd Maldives Ashfaq, you are the best

Win Maldives Ashfaag please do not miss the oportunity. it is a time that you can prove to the world that you are the best out of all. you can challenge to the players from europe.. why not.. you have gott every thing to beat them... we all are with you..

wisemen Maldives Maldives is a tiny island nation in the Indian Ocean. We Maldivians are crazy about football. unfortunately Fk Dubnicia had lost the game they played in the Maldives. we are the champions of this region (India,Pakistan,Bangladhesh,Nepal, Sri Lanka) we've beaten them all. What do you now about The Maldives

michael italia im a retired italian footballer and i happend to be in the maldives at the time of the SAFF championships. i try to stay away from football but surely the football fever in the maldives was hard to stay away from.. i ended up watching the maldivian games with maldivians and i do admit that this ashfaa guy is sumthin amazin.. hes a mix of danielle de rossi and antonio cassano from my point of view.. could be the next big thing in Europe give the chance.. who knows? hes got the talent for sure

gui rio what's maldives, hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

andrew slovakia slovakia is in europe :D...but i dont think this league is right for them..but of course dubnica may get them cheap and sell them with tripple of their price

ravi india hei i watched th saff chmpship both of them r outstanding they culd perfm in europe. this is the chance to put maldives in world chart

isam maldives ashfag is wat makes us proud about maldivian football, great player, dont miss this chance dude,

Axaje Hulhudhoo, Maldives Ashfag you are the man Maldives is proud of, now take maldives to the next level of the beautiful game..go join the club vi jankech...this is the best opportunity

jimee Maldives Ashfaq is the bet player in this region. He is a man. He got tellents. He can do. I wanna say bro asfaq dnt loose this oppotunity. Keep it up. This is your carier.

anil maldives ali ashfaaq is the worldclass player......he can play europ big clubs. he is asia no:1 . so why not???

sujan nepal i saw aashfaag play during the asian games. great player

Xigamo maldives They are the best two players in Maldives, So...dont miss this opportunity....this is the time

saif male' pls psl dont miss this opportunity Ashfaag.....i m sure u will get more chances in future. yes thi might b ur gateway...u r a great player.u have enough skills that u can even play with european teams. u know i havent seen a forward like u in this Euro....i m sure u r the best forward in the worl right now. not only asia. surely u will get more chances. show ur tallents and skills to the world.....all the best

jack malaysia both of them plays well n even they can play in europe,it would be a great chance for them tu improve.

goru boki maldives kavi, kaley mihaaru goal.com ga post jahan feshee dho? uhun.. ali umar is the best.. hehe

Nasif Maldives Err im not so sure they want to go.. They wouldn't go to portugal, what makes you think they will go now. They are unbelievably talented and should go now before the door closes on them. Put Maldives on the Map boys!

Makavi Male, Maldives Hi Guys, Don't miss this great great Opportunity. That's right this a Gateway for the Maldivian Players as well. Specially Ashfaq, pls take this opportunity. This will be the Disney of our dreams.

ismail anil maldives Its great news. I guess coach wants them to be on his side when he takes up the director position. Neverthless, it is an opportunity they should not miss. Ashfaq has let gone too many of these wonderful opportunities. Imagine what he would have been if he had gone and played in Portugal with his first opportunity. Guys, please take this opportunity and shine in Europe. We are all behind you. You can always come back. If you guys use this chance, it will be something you are doing for yourself, for your country and the people whom you love. Oportunities don't come knocking at the door too often. Grab it when it does. Good luck.

smith london - it ll be great for u guys dont miss the chance n go ahead.

najeeb maldives - Its another opotunity for ashfaq, he's got quiet few opptunities in last few years especially benfica youth, i think this is a great chance to prove how good they are, coz they are still young and talented. go guys go.

ximan Maldives - PLEASE dont miss this oppotunity, it could be a gateway to another european league too..So give it a try and sharpen your skills, you guys will never be out of place with Jankech in Dubnica.


kavi malaysia surly - ali ashfag is the best in Asia.... just watch his talents

Write your comment on this blog or in source site goal.com

Source: goal.com

MALDIVES GET THIRD PLACE - Asian Cricket Council

Maldives beat China in the 3rd and 4th Playoff at Chiang Mai Gymkhana to clinch third place in the ACC U-19 Challenge Cup. Maldives dominated the match, winning by 155 runs. China were disciplined in the field but ultimately their fallibility against spin-bowling was again exposed.

Maldives won the toss and had no hesitation in batting. Mihusan Hamid and Husham Ibrahim put on 120 for the 2nd wicket in just under 23 overs; Mihusan made his 74 off 93 deliveries and Husham made his 70 off 71. They made an interesting contrast in style. Mihusan more studied and correct, Husham more flamboyant and powerful. Both hit on the up through the line and dispatched the loose ball well and took plenty of singles to disrupt the Chinese bowlers of whom Zhang Yufei was the pick with 3-52 off his ten overs. Both Mihusan and Husham benefited from let-offs early on and had the chances been held, such has been the fragility of the Maldives tail. China could have really kept the Maldives in check.

As it was, Maldives made 275 and it was always going to be very difficult for China. Particularly when they are rooted to the crease against spin-bowlers, particularly when Maldives have high-quality spinners.

Some good strokes were played but a stroke a campaign doesn't make and as soon as spin was introduced in the ninth over of the innings, China's batsmen were struggling. They play pace well undoubtedly, but not yet spin. Left-handed Zhao Xu drove one glorious soaring 6 over mid-on against Mihusan Hamid but it was Hamid who picked up five Chinese wickets with his tossed-up offspin and seven men around the bat.

China were all out for 120.

ACC U-19 Challenge Cup
Third and Fourth Place Playoff
China v Maldives at Gymkhna
MALDIVES BEAT CHINA BY 155 RUNS
Maldives won the toss and chose to bat
Maldives: 275 for 8 off 50 overs (M. Hamid 74, A. Hassan 30, H. Ibrahim 70; L. Jian 3-52)
China: 120 all out after 29.1 overs (M. Hamid 5-38)
Man of the Match: Mihusan Hamid (Maldives)

Source: asiancricket.org

MALDIVES SHUT OUT BHUTAN

When the Maldives were good they were very, very good, when they were bad they were very, very bad. Against Bhutan at the Prem Oval their good qualities – dynamic batting, aggressive bowling, sharp fielding – prevailed and they ran out winners by 21 runs.

Bhutan had their chances, many of them, but just couldn't close out the match. Bowling their overs a little slowly cost them dearly too, as chasing Maldives's 245, they only had 48 overs in which to do so.

A 128-run-partnership for the opening wicket between Maldives's captain Ahmed Hassan (76 off 111) and Jilwaz Rasheed (51 off 77) set up the Maldives but Bhutan dropped them both early on in their innings. Seven chances were missed in all and delaying the introduction of the spinners (as well as the 33 wides) not only allowed the batsmen to settle and play their shots with impunity on a hard, true surface but slowed down the over rate considerably. In-depth research by the ACC match referees has shown that regarding wides, dropped catches, lack of spin bowlers – the teams which overcome two of these handicaps tend to win.

The game was close and as it went on every action mattered.

Maldives gifted some late-innings wickets to Bhutan and whereas at one stage a total of 260 looked possible, they had to settle for 245. A little complacency cost them too, as they set out to defend what they felt was a big total. But Bhutan have match-savvy and in Manoj Adhikari their wicket-keeper opener, have a batsman of some quality. Plus, the Prem Oval has a lightning-fast outfield.

"We had chances to win," said Bhutan's coach Damber Singh Gurung. That they did. And though Maldives themselves bowled 50 wides, they bowled enough quality deliveries and fielded well enough to never allow the Bhutanese freedom any freedom. Bhutan managed just 13 fours in their innings, Maldives hit 29. Bhutan's captain Jigme Singye was run-out looking for 2, with the score on 123 in the 28th over and with the run-rate mounting, Manoj Adhikari who had batted with great composure fell to a super catch at deep-backward point trying to force the pace. The other batsmen all did their best but the catches and run-outs kept coming.

The Maldives really played well in patches and have shown that they have the batting and bowling to trouble any side. "It was our first ever international U-19 victory," said Samad Faiz the Maldives manager, "this will make big news back home."

ACC U-19 Challenge Cup
Bhutan v Maldives, Prem Oval
MALDIVES WON BY 21 RUNS
Bhutan won the toss and elected to field
Maldives: 245 for 8 off 50 overs (A.Hassan 76, J. Rasheed 51, M. Hamid 41; T.A. Wangchuk 3-38, S. Luitel 3-33)
Bhutan: 224 all out off 46.5 overs (M. Adhikari 64; J. Rasheed 3-40)
Man of the Match: Ahmed Hassan (Maldives)

Source: Asiancricket.org

QATAR CRUSH MALDIVES

Qatar raced to a seven-wicket victory over Maldives in the opening Group A match of the ACC U-15 Challenge Cup. The Maldives batsmen gifted the match to Qatar with some reckless strokes against the leg-spinner Ali Ishtiaq. From 44 for 1 in the 11th over the Maldives just collapsed.

Qatar didn't find it easy against Maldives' sbowlers in reply - they too opened with spin - but 63 was always achievable. The Maldives had an off day and can surely do better, Qatar have a valuable win in the bag.

Maldives v Qatar at AIT, Bangkok
QATAR WON BY SEVEN WICKETS
Maldives: 64 off 20.1 overs (A. Ishtiaq 5-9)
Qatar: 65 for 3 off 14.5 overs (F. Rauf 33*)
Man of the Match: Ali Ishtiaq (Qatar)

U-15 ACC Elite Age-Verification Program Results Issued

Source: Asia Cricket Council

Seedings of 2011 Asian Cup qualifying

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Thursday announced the seeds for qualifying for the 2011 Asian Cup, based on results from the 2007 tournament.

1.Iraq 2.Saudi Arabia 3.South Korea 4.Japan 5.Australia 6.Iran 7.Uzbekistan 8.Vietnam 9.China 10.Thailand 11.Indonesia 12.UAE 13.Bahrain 14.Oman 15.Malaysia 16.Jordan 17.Syria 18.Hong Kong 19.Yemen 20.Kuwait 21.Singapore 22.India 23.Lebanon 24.North Korea 25.Myanmar 26.Maldives 27.Turkmenistan.

In round one, the eight teams ranked 20-27 will be paired into two groups of four with the top two from each group progressing to round two.

The second round will see those four teams joining the 16 teams ranked 4-19, who will be divided into five groups of four.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the tournament along with Iraq. Saudi Arabia and South Korea, who automatically go through after finishing as the top three teams at the 2007 Asian Cup.

AFC Challenge Cup competitions in 2008 and 2010.
The first round draw takes place on Monday, December 17.

Source: AFP

Maldives referees for I-League matches

To ensure a high standard of officiating in the ongoing professional I-League, All India Football Federation has roped in two referees from the Maldives to supervise some of the matches of the competition.

Ali Saleem and Ahmed Ameez will be refereeing some I-League games to be played in Goa between December 9 to 23, a Federation release said on Thursday.

AIFF and the Football Association of Maldives have an exchange programme for referees under which two Indians, S Suresh and Rizwan-ul-Haq, have officiated matches in Maldives this year.

Matches in Indian domestic football are often plagued by disputes over refereeing decisions with players and team managements registering protests over this matter.

Source: India Times Sports

Maldives moves up in FIFA Rankings

Maldives has moved up 25 places in the monthly rankings issued by FIFA, moving to the 149th place. This is the biggest leap that Maldives has ever experienced in FIFA ranking in such a short time. The Maldives National Team had recently won two significant matches, against Yemen in the World Cup Qualifying match in Male’ and against Malaysia in a Friendly match, which contributed to the rise.


Despite the rise, India still holds the lead position in the region in the 145th position, the same position they were in last month. India was knocked-out of the World Cup Qualifying by Lebanon.

Pakistan moved up 15 places to the 166th position while Sri Lanka remains in the 169th place. Bangladesh, which had beat Maldives to win the cup in SAF Championship 2003, fell one place to the 173 position. Nepal is in 187th position, and Afghanistan, the newest addition to the SAARC countries, is in the 189th position. Bhutan brings up the rear in the 198th position.



Source: Haveeru Online and Fifa

Favourites clear first hurdle

The heavyweights all cleared the first hurdle in Asia's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying section as brave challenges from a number of underdogs fell short at the weekend. The favourites showed no mercy as they cruised to one-sided victories, with China PR leading the way by putting four unanswered goals past Myanmar to complete an 11-0 aggregate success.

Joining China in qualifying for the next stage were Uzbekistan, who built on their 9-0 first leg win over Chinese Taipei with a 2-0 away win, and Hong Kong, who followed up a slender 3-2 defeat of Timor Leste with a convincing 8-1 triumph in front of their own fans.

Morale-boost for Petrovic
Having won 7-0 on home soil, China were all but assured of progressing ahead of Sunday's return leg. As a result, coach Vladimir Petrovic took the opportunity to test a selection of youngsters as he changed almost the entire starting line-up, with only Zhuang Shuai retaining his place in the side that swept to victory in Foshan.

The Serbian tactician would certainly have been pleased with the start made by his new-look team, who took the lead after only 12 minutes, Wu Weian heading home Hao Junmin's inch-perfect cross from close range. Only two minutes later, the advantage was doubled when Liu Jian fired a low drive into Myanmar's goal. Midfielder Zheng Bin made it 3-0 after 34 minutes before Zhang Yaokun sealed a 4-0 win with a spot-kick four minutes before the break.

Despite the outcome, the fact that his team failed to breach their opponent's rearguard for the entire second half left Petrovic worried about his task, which is guiding the Chinese through to just their second FIFA World Cup finals. "We played good football for only 20 minutes in this game," he said afterwards. "Such an attitude will cost us dear when we play against a stronger side because a football game will not be decided until after 90 minutes."

Dark horses disappoint
Most potential dark horses failed to produce an upset, including Vietnam, who saw their qualifying dreams shattered by a 5-0 loss at the hands of nemesis United Arab Emirates.

UAE managed only a 1-0 win in their first leg meeting but, cheered on by their home supporters in Abu Dhabi, Ismail Matar opened scoring after only 13 minutes for Bruno Metsu's side and Ahmad Al Mahri doubled their lead five minutes before the break. The west Asians continued to dominate in the second half and goals from Mohamed Al Shehhi, Nawaf Al Darmaki and Saeed Al Kass sealed an emphatic victory and a place in the next stage.

With the set of matches absent of an upset, it was two South Asia outsiders that gave the most impressive accounts of themselves. Despite playing with little hope of advancing following a 7-0 defeat by Iraq in their first leg, Pakistan claimed a 0-0 draw to earn the respect of their rivals.

For their part, Maldives, who lost their first leg 3-0 to Yemen, came close to pulling off a shock by beating Yemen 2-0 at home, although ultimately the result proved sufficient for the west Asians to advance.

Source: Fifa