FA Cup to start on February 10th

Male', MALDIVES -
Next season’s Football Association (FA) Cup is scheduled to kick off on 10th February and the deadline to participate is 23rd of January, says Football Association of Maldives (FAM).

FA Cup is open for all the clubs/associations registered under FAM and the tournament is regarded as the biggest in the season other than Dhivehi League. One major reason for clubs targeting FA Cup is the winner will get the chance to represent Maldives in the AFC Cup.

Second division champions All Youth Linkage (AYL) is already focusing on the FA Cup and last season’s best club Vyansa is also set their eye on the title New Radiant has won most of the time. New Radiant, the current title holder, has won FA Cup 10 times in its 20 year history and they won it three years in a row for two occasions.

VB Sports and Maziya who didn’t get the chance to appear in this year’s Cup Winner’s Cup will start the season from FA Cup.

Victory's B team resume practice

Male', MALDIVES - Victory’s B Team’s practice has been started today morning according to their Assistant Coach Ali Suzeyn. However, Ali Suzeyn also elaborated that the management is yet to decide on a date to resume the A team’s practices.

In a previous interview to maldivesoccer.com Suzeyn said that their practices would resume on the 10th of this month. Victory has so far managed to capture big names in to the club which is very different from their previous strategies is yet to finalise some of the agreements. Captian Imran Mohamed, Ismail Anil, Faisal (Katey), and Ibrahim Shiyam (Dhona)’s agreement is yet to be finalized.

Victory’s B team’s practices would resume under the instruction of Assistant coach Mufeed.

Eight Degree Wins Their First match

Maldivesoccer.com- Eight Degree football club have won their first match in the ongoing Third Division Football tournament. The team won their first match 2- 0 against the Beach Boys, with Mohammed Jameel’s first goal gaining the 8 Degree team a lead in yesterday's match at the Henveiru Grounds.

They had earlier lost to the Kudahenveiru team in the first match of the tournament.

Ahmed Abdulla’s goal guaranteed the 8 Degree team a three point score on the table following the match in which the Beach Boys also had plenty of chances to score.

In yesterday’s match at the Turf Grounds, Eydhafushi won 2-1 against the Male Football Club who were playing in Valencia’s yellow jersey. Eydhafushi took the lead with Mohammed Thamheed’s goal in the first half of the match and he extended the lead in the second half. Ali Ikram scored a consolation goal for the Male FC.

Sack of goals in todays third division

Maldivesoccer.com- Maabaidhoo Isdharivarunge gulhun beat Varutha by 10 goals to 1 in today’s game of the ongoing third division zone nine tournament.

Two players of Maabaidhoo I.G. made hatricks in todays game.

Hassan Niyaz scored four goals while Ibrahim Fasaah scored three goals. Niyaz’s goals were scored in 4, 78, 88 and 90+ minutes of the game.

Fasaah scored his goals in 36, 59 and 84th minute of the game. Other players who contributed the team includes; Abdhulla Nasir 5th minute, Mohamed Ibrahim 16th minute and Moosa Waheed 23rd minute contributed for the team’s huge score margin.

Hussain Shabeen scored the only goal for Varutha in the 25th minute of the game.
Hussain Shafaaz of of Varutha was sent off with the second yellow card in the 56th minute of the game for appealing against referee.

Man of the match was awarded to Ibrahim Fasaah of Maabaidhoo Isdharivarunge gulhun.
In the other game played today, Kinbidhoo I.N. beated Jamiyyathul Shabaab by 9 goals to 1. KIN got the first chance of the game when referee awarded a penalty to KIN when Shabaab’s Ahmed Athif hand balled inside the penalty area, he was sent off with a red card. Shabaab’s goal keeper saved the penalty kick.

Scoring was opened by Ali Atheeq of Shabaab in the 28th minute. KIN leveled the game in the 35th minute from the goal by Ahmed Nafiz. KIN managed to take the lead before the half time in the 41st minute from the goal by Ahmed Ashraf.

Ibrahim Nazim expanded the lead in the 55th minute while Ahmed Nafiz scored his second goal in the 61st minute.

Three minutes after the fourth goal, Ahmed Naseem added one in the 63rd minute. Naafis Hassan also contributed for the scoring in the 85th minute. Ali Riza made his hatrick from the goals scored in 77, 88 and 90th minute.

KIN’s Ali Riza was declared as the man of the match.

Club Gaamagu will face Karaa FC in turf ground and Offu FC will face Karaa FC in henveiru ground in tomorrow’s matches.

AYL Eyes the FA cup

Maldivesoccer.com- Second division champion club All Youth Linkage (AYL) is hoping to win the FA Cup Tournament next year.

According to their newly appointed head coach Ahmed Mujthaba (Fesko), the team is on the talent- hunting for three players from Europe to increase their chances in next year’s cup.

Fesko said they have contacted three football agents from different continents to get suitable players, with Malaysian agent Afendy playing a critical role.

AYL included three foreign players in last year’s squad and their forward, Mensah Collins netted 14 goals in the season. Fesko was appointed head coach along with newly appointed director Ismail Asif (Kudaheenaa) in August 2007.

AYL also signed three new local players to strengthen their squad since the end of last season.