Maldives national team to be welcomed home after Super Cup victory

Maldives national football team will be officially welcomed this evening at Galolhu Stadium following their win in the South Asian Super Cup, organized by the Sri Lankan Football Federation (SLF).

Maldives secured the title with a 4-1 aggregate win over Sri Lanka, after defeating the hosts 3–0 in the first leg and drawing 1–1 in the second match at Colombo Racecourse Ground yesterday.

The team is scheduled to return on a SriLankan Airlines flight at 2:25 pm today, with an initial reception planned at the VIP lounge of Velana International Airport. A welcoming ceremony will then take place at 3:45 pm at Galolhu Stadium, organized by the Ministry of Sports.

The Super Cup was originally designed as a four-nation tournament, but with only Maldives accepting the invitation, Sri Lanka staged it as a two-legged competition.

While not a FIFA-recognized tournament, the victory has been described as a morale boost for the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) as it seeks to revive local football.

Maldives has twice lifted the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship; in 2008 and 2018. Several figures from the 2008 squad now play leading roles in the sport, including FAM president Ahmed Thoriq (Tom), and ex-players Imran Mohamed and Mohamed Umair, who currently serve on the executive committee. The team’s then assistant coach is now head coach, while Sports Minister Abdulla Rafiu served as team doctor during the 2018 title win.