Hassan Ali - father of football’s famous four brothers has passed away

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Hassan Ali, the father who produced four dedicated contributors to Maldivian football and the very first owner of Club Eagles, passed away last night at the age of 78.

A former member of the military, Hassan Ali passed away while receiving treatment at IGMH, where he was admitted last Thursday after his blood pressure dropped.

His funeral prayer was held today after the afternoon prayer at the Aasahara Mosque.

Among Hassan Ali’s children, Ali Suzain, Mohamed Nazeeh, Ibrahim Sinaz (Sina), and Ahmed Riyaz (Gana) are powerful names in Maldivian football and represent a significant part of Victory Sports Club’s history.

Although he did not have direct involvement later on, Hassan Ali was a crucial stakeholder in Eagles, a club that produced many talented players and achieved success in the first division.

When a group of youths from the northwest end of Maafannu wanted to register a club but were unable to do so because they were underage, it was Hassan Ali who helped them.

Working at a place called 'Anchor' in that area at the time, Hassan Ali not only registered the club for the youths under the name 'Eagles' but also assisted them in various other ways to get started.

With the major contribution of Hassan Ali’s children, Eagles became the club that introduced players like Imran Mohamed and Sobah Mohamed Ibrahim (Soba) to the first division, players who were later part of the Victory squad that won the National Trophy for the second time in 2002.

On that occasion, four National Tournament medals entered Hassan Ali’s home, Galolhu Dhadharage, through his sons.

At the time, Suzain was Victory’s assistant coach, Ghana was the goalkeeper trainer, while Nazeeh and Sina were players.

Among Hassan Ali’s children, Suzain is the most prominent. A former player for Victory and Valencia, Suzain is one of the most successful coaches produced in the Maldives. After achieving numerous successes with Victory and Maziya, he is currently the coach of the rival New Radiant.

Nazeeh was one of the finest midfielders produced in the Maldives; having played for both Victory and New, he was also a member of the national team from 1998 to 2004 and is now a notable coach.

Suzain and Nazeeh are the first and only two brothers in Maldivian football to have coached opposing teams in the same match.

During the 2016 Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League match, where Suzain’s Maziya defeated Nazeeh’s Victory 2-1, Hassan Ali was present in the stadium’s rostrum as a special guest of the FAM. Sina was a talented defender who played for New and VB Addu FC in addition to Victory, later serving on the Victory board.

Ghana, a former famous cricketer, worked as Victory’s goalkeeper trainer for 30 years. From the team’s most successful days until its relegation to the second division, where it remained in a state of limbo, Ghana continued to serve as a club official.

"Our father's role in our sports careers was very significant," Suzain has said.