VB has done it again

As many would have expected VB defended their title for the second time in as many years. In a season purported to be one-sided VB reached finish line well ahead of final two games of the league.

Ashfag came off the bench to provide the much-needed breakthrough for the 1-1 stalemate in the 74th minute. His cleverly-disguised pass, rather than a shot, found the back of net to the confusion of Maziya defenders who failed to clear it.

He put the tie beyond doubt with his second of the day from a right flank free kick before Ali Umar capped off the vital clash with a brilliant individual goal.

The final whistle saw Vanli lifted aloft by the ecstatic players for the memorable success the Turkish helped to bring to the youngest club in the Maldivian football fraternity. For to win a silverware without a single defeat is no mean achievement. Well done VB!

Reds still in the slim hope

New Radiant’s recent endeavor to strengthen the team with the acquisition of two Bulgarians could not be much of a help when Victory came firing all cylinders.  More so with the usually reliable Oppo in the fray like a fox in the box the least you could do is let a loose ball within his sight and you know the result. He made meal out of the opportunity and scored his 16th goal of the season.

New Radiant may have got numerous chances begging for them but what of the use when players of Tom’s reputation fluff penalty cheaply.

In the end it was again Suzain’s day as they claimed an importantly victory to consolidate their position in the second place and condemn the Blues to struggle for the third spot. Can they do it?

For Victory they have to wait for what happen tonight? If VB lose their game against Maziya there is the slim hope for rejoice till the next match day.

Dhivehi League preponed

The latest move by FAM to pre-pone Dhivehi League will be some consolation as far as time is concerned. As time (rather the lack of it) more often than not has been blamed for Maldives’ preparation at overseas tournament.

As of now day and night matches will be played from the 16th of this month till 25th. Bereft of any real excitement over the long-drawn tournament this will in part further stretch interest of limited supporters.

But then it is U23 which takes precedence and all the help that is needed is a prerogative of parent body, FAM. Thus to pre-pone the remaining three matches for each team runs in good stead.

Victory in relentless mood

Victory’s belated endeavor to make amends for earlier profligacy seems little too late. But then this precious three points against wasteful Vyansa is important in the fact that it keep them in the hunt for now.

As it is for Oppo. With his brace he is still in contention for leading goal scorer award except that he is just two goals behind leading goals scorer Ashfag. Though, his best years behind him, he is scoring important goals at important juncture for his team. One would wish Oppo's inspiration should have permeated to all in red at the beginning of the season when they lost valuable points to mediocre teams.

Now it is all a waiting game. Perhaps in the coming week we would get the answer. 

  
    

AYL on freefall

When losing become a routine affair the headache becomes unmanageable for the coach. For AYL coach Athif it is no different, there is nothing to revel about, it is all defeats.

Now these matches for him in Dhiraagu Dhivehi league are formalities rather than any which does anything to their position in the table. With yet another loss to high-flying New Radiant, AYL aim must targeted to the relegation battles looming large on the face.

For New Radiant it was yet another easy romp with a 5-3 with Bulgarian Petkov getting on the score sheet thrice. Mohan team is coming good towards the end of the season but it is unlikely they get better than their present position at 3.

VB brush aside Valencia

If Valencia had any thought of claiming a spot in the fourth place in the league it has now well been dashed for good. Needing a win to make any bold claim and yet having to wait what other teams’ fortune pan out in the reminder of matches, the first nail in the Valencia coffin was hammered in 12th minute with Ali Umar’s penalty. Oittey doubled the lead in the 28th minute.

Valencia had a lifeline in the 34 minute when Bonda’s superb header found the back of the net. Yet depleted by the absence of first team regulars including star player Assad the onslaught from VB was too much to handle. The pressure become telling when half-time substitute for VB are player of Ashfag’s calibre. He sealed the win for VB sports in the 60th and 93rd minute to protect what is turning out to be a huge lead. Well, notwithstanding even if the nearest rivals Victory win their next match. VB is simply too good.

Thoddu flatter to deceive

It looked like it was one of those days when smaller looked the bigger. There was a new-found confidence in Thoddu players and a conviction in their play. Against mighty Maziya they defended in the initial half-hour as if their life depended on it. And in the 14th minute when Muan lifted a ball over the advancing goal-keeper at the edge of box into the empty net you knew there was something about this team Thoddu today.

They defended stoutly and distributed ball up field in a manner reminiscent of a team in harmony. The usual porous defense was magnificently shielded, when they lose possession how they, almost all, get behind the ball is tactics hitherto they never managed so effectively. But then don’t expect miracles from a team which hardly gets two consecutive practices with the playing-11. If only you have 38 minutes in a football match.

Sadly for Thoddu and all those supporters back at home it was yet another proof of how shallow their talent is and how important is regular practice. The gathering confidence that it would be their day of three points against a very resilient Maziya shattered to pieces in the 39th minutes when Thasneem headed home the equalizer.

When referee blew his final whistle the scoreboard read what was always predictable. Maziya 3, Thoddu 1. Yet another predictable result with no twist in the  tale.

Is VB Sports the deserving king

Galolhu Stadium: The good old days are over

Is this the least competitive and most boring Dhivehi League in a long time? Indeed yes, if you go by the league table. 

While VB Sports sit on the pole position with a comfortable tally of 43 points, 8 points ahead of their nearest rivals Victory, the team at the bottom of the table is having a terrible. AYL has not won a single match so far, only 2 points from two draws . Second from bottom Thoddu is with 9 points, third with 15 points.

Now where does that leave the competitiveness of this league? With only four matches to go before the wrap up of league you feel like to ask:  is this the kind of football you wanted to watch and follow as an avid fan? Where is the flair and excitement? In 8-team league should the lowest be as mediocre as not win a single match? Whatever happened to supporters who once filled this stadium to the brim?

At a time when there is real concern over the standard of football, which in the eye of many is on descent, the question is should there be such mismatch among the teams? Should it be allowed a particular team with its financial power to tip the scale of balance and lose the leverage on competitiveness forever?

Dhiraagu as the main sponsor may be doing its part to revive the sport but with the sort of disparity quite visible among teams, for AYL and Thoddu especially in their buying power and lack of genuine footballers coming through, is the scale tipped too far, beyond no return? 

The show is not over for New Radiant

A comprehensive win, a very precious three points and a smile writ large on the face of coach Mohan to sum up New Radiant’s tryst with Valencia for a place in the fourth place.

The blue boys are reinvigorated since Tom’s return to his old team and perhaps it is no wonder he is on the score sheet. His aerial power is such that he will hardly miss a header inside the six yard; his 43rd clincher in fact did justice to his strength in air.

Valencia may have lamented their attempts were hampered by poor refereeing but the fact that you cannot discount is New Radiant's spirited performance today. Their overall defense-minded approach to the game was praiseworthy.

Mohan’s growing stature to the game as a competent coach is no more a myth. He is making a depeleted side looking great by the day. However this doesn’t look like to be their year, so coming on stronger in the next season is something their long-suffering supporters will be longing for.

VB Sports with a huge lead

For VB fans it was yet another day when the status quo remained the way they wanted. They won a routine game against a weak Vyansa with a comfortable win. 

Since he came into the fold three matches back Abu seems to break the deadlock for VB. He was no different here.

As usual substitute Ashfag who came off the bench, rounded up the keeper in the stoppage time to score his 15th of the season.

Ali Umar, Ibrahim Abdulla and Fazeeh, the-smallest-kid-on-the-block ( 1 kilo if you by the nick given by former coach Kiss) were on target. Fazeeh with a rare brace.

By no means a small victory

Thoddu may not be counted as a big team but the win for Victory against island team is big. It’s a big, precious three points. At a time when their initial few defeats in the beginning of the season are having glaring effect on their position on the team this is a huge boost for future tough matches. So the score of 3-0 is fantastic.

For hapless Thoddu it could have been worse. But their recent tactics of introducing dark art in the game like time-wasting, feigning injury made this a stretcher day.  It is a big eyesore on the game for people who go to watch a good football match but for Thoddu they seem to have other ideas.

Is Kuda Moosa all-time best

Is he all-time best: Have your say

Of course it is bit far-fetched to compare accomplished players of different eras to come to a non-contentious answer. Not the least because yesteryear players are more of physical and less of technical  but also of the speed, the professional, the contours of formulas have undergone too drastic a change for a proper commentary in the last decade. Today’s players are more apt, the game is fast and it is professional too.

When Kuda Moosa and Andarey had played it was just for the pure love of the game, money was just secondary. Since they were of lesser technical players it was more of physical: you kick the ball and run, till you lose possession if there is nobody in sight to help you.

Kuda Moosa’s stand-out attributes are his stamina and industrious box-to-box running, his efficiency as a holding midfielder, the accurate passing and awareness of the game. His arial ability is another stand-out that made him such a threat in the box.

Today’s players like Oppo and Dhagey are technically  much better and it is their athletism, better eye for goal that makes them such gifted players. Specially Ashfag, whose individual brilliance is arguably the best by far any Maldivian so far. Oppo is better than Ashfag in that Oppo is so much better at heading and his clarity of thought.

It is more like tug of war. If you ask supporter of the 80s you will hear Kuda Moosa as best and somebody of younger lot Oppo or Dhagey the clear winners. It is really subjective; it depends on how well you appraised Dhivehi football in the last 30 years. I would not waver in my support for Kuda Moosa, for me his ability and discipline on and off the ball and pitch has been awesome.

Will the day ever come for AYL

 AYL ( 1 )       Maziya  ( 4 )


There is no end to AYL supporters crying thier eyes out. Waiting for that elusive win since the beginning of Dhiraagu Dhivehi League their patience is being tested in the most brutal way as they have failed to win yet another match, the 17th in all rounds.  With just two draws to show for all the efforts it must be hurting even to mention of the pain coursing through the mind of players. Every day they play their part but the paucity of talent and lack of funds are too glaring in the side to make any leeway in a tournament mostly one-sided with the kind of chasm among the teams.

For Maziya who thrashed them with  4-1 scoreline in a must-win game  the relief must have been so sweet with the pressure coming from New Radiant and Valencia put at bay at least for the moment. Some smile for coach Imma!

Vanli a worried man

Now this is escalating to a situation where club coaches and managements have to take a stand. This not just a question of loyalty to the club but a problem that could in the long run have repercussion to the huge investment made by the club.

First of all, being professional mean you are in contract with a club to play for certain period of time. During the time you bounded to honour the commitment to the ethics of club – by way of maintaining your body in a playable condition ( i.e refrain from any kind of activities that is detrimental your football career) and hence everything you do should be in the gambit of enhancing your football career. 

Apart from that, as Vanli has noted, it is however okay, you to take part in office football activities as long as it doesn't impinge on the club competition. Other than that, I'm afraid NO.

Being professional players you cannot participate in tournaments that are not of club’s as long as you are in a club contract, not in the tournaments organized by private entities. As the points brought to notice by VB coach Vanli, some of his players are taking part in a competition this Ramazan that is not even of their office, which in any case you look at is an offence.

Besides, already playing for the club professionally how on earth can you think of maintaining you fitness and mental preparation to the game ahead when you play yet another match just after a match Galolhu stadium? 

It is time a line has to be drawn somewhere: how far you should go with your other activities as professional player while in a contract with a club? 

Can you play futsal in your spare time  for some tournament when at the same time you draw monthly-salary from a club? Questions that beg imminent answers! Anyone?

VB Sports too hot for Thoddu

Coach Nizam’s ambition of becoming the first team who upset VB Sports may have to wait for another day. Coming to the second half with four goals down it would have been almost impossible to send shock waves through VB. But two quick goals did provide them with a certain redemption they could have capitalized. 

But then Thoddu is no Liverpool to come from behind and store parity in a game they have no stars to call upon to spearhead a miracle.

Abu and Fazeeh to paid to any lingering hopes of shock comeback by Thoddu with practice match goals. Final score read 6-2.

Vyansa finding it hard to get a foothold in the league

 New Radiant ( 1 )  Vyansa ( 0 )

You would have expected it would be yet another easy run for New Radiant given the quality of opponents. But that was only in your imagination and in store for them was a hard day’s labour, with Vyansa resorting to all kind of rough tactics to delay the inevitable.

And when the goal came in the 21st minute by a header from Petkov that was it. Period. The reminder of match saw all kind of attempt undone in the final moment. By 90 minutes of play it was a paltry 1-0 win. But then it doesn’t matter, all it does is three points.

Maziya’s loss previous night was New Radient’s gain and here they have jumped one spot up the table to the third place and that is more than a psychological boot. So waiting for the reminder of the final round.

Once a tonne by popularity now just '2kilo'

His goal that sparked off wild celebrations never seen in the history of Maldives

'Twokilo’ may be the name that goes by in football circles but that is not the case with the weight of his talent. His popularity skyrocketed with a goal that brought Maldives its first ever haul of gold in a regional competition.  He became an instant superstar in a place we never had many of such to call upon. A deadly piledriver to the bottom corner of Indian goal and since then has stamped his name on the psyche of nation. Football-crazy fans went into frenzy hitherto unheard of, a weeklong fiesta unraveled its own life on the roads of Male’, happiness became the new manta of all Maldivians. They sang and danced, he became the hero of country. That was Mukthar Naseer of 2008 for you.

Since then he seem to have shed all the kilos in terms of his form and popularity, so conspicuous are it by the absence of the talent that made him such a telling difference. Yes, he is still playing football for Victory but he is not the same Mukthar that you saw so elegantly in SAFF Championship. He seem to have slowed down, those magnificent runs that he so robustly make through defenses, leaving the defenders in a whiff are  nowhere to be seen. Is this the beginning of the inevitable decline of an amazing footballer who has his name engraved in gold letters? Reportedly the most expensive player when Victory splashed a fortune to procure his services in 2009 this certainly is not good omen for their fans.

Maziya slip up

Pressure is piling up for Maziya to secure a place in the top four. With their last three match against heavyweights like VB Sports, Victory and New Radiant in the final round of league, they are in for nervy time. With a maximum of 6 points in their next two games almost assured of – against AYL & Thoddu – how the resurgent Velencia does have huge bearing for Maziya’s status in the top four. All is not lost however, as Imma’s Maziya could have few surprise up its kitty. Watch it!

Victory keep the pressure on

Yet another glorious day for Victory and Oppo. Precious three points and now only five points behind VB sports, Victory’s dateline with second place, if not the first yet, is very much on course. For Oppo, his two goals took him within one goal of leading scorer Ashfag who is on 14. It doesn’t however mean Victory cannot win the league but for that to happen VB Sports have to err big time.

So it is Newton’s fault, huh

Is there any relationship between FAM and Newton 3rd law of motion which essentially encompass inertia? As it transpires from present predicament of FAM they are really plagued by it, tight in the shackles of Newton's laws of Mechanics right to the core. Or how else you would explain their bizarre inaction for so long leading up to Maldives U23 friendly against Singapore U23? Weren't they supposed to be finding a good coach for this team rather than sitting on  months of sloth and suddenly rushes for Mattey who is also the technical director of FAM?

Who will buy General Secretary’s contention they did not have enough time and, in fact four days are not enough to get a good foreign coach? What were they doing till they conjure upon this precious four days to double up technical director as coach? Is there a collective amnesia running the ranks and files of FAM that you never know what is next on agenda after less than satisfactory performance of last SAFF championship? There is no point in fooling the public and admonish the players for bad performances after each tournament if you cannot stick to good plan of action.

AYL : All Your Loss

Are they destined to get not more than 3 points in this Dhiraagu Dhivehi League? Condemned to the bottom of 8-team league, with mere 2 points (gleamed from the draws in both the rounds) AYL’s right to remain in this league is a question FAM need to answer. It is already too late. As the name says it a competition should be a competition, not for the name sake! If you are incompetent to compete or cannot mount a discerning challenge to your rivals there is no point in diluting a badly one-sided tournament which Dhivehi league is.

Or do this. FAM could add bit of more financial muscles to malnourished, emaciated bones of lowly clubs like AYL and Vynasa. Or hit cash-rich VB Sports where it hurt most by putting a cap on player salary thereby removing the buying power of individual clubs. So you are not gonna see all the good players warming the heels in one particular club. Just an idea, nothing official about it!

Red-hot Tom keeps Blues in the hunt

There is nothing in this world better than what had happened to Tom after his return to his former team. His short stint with VB may not have worked wonders for him but  since the change of shirts  all what he touches is turning out to be goals. His brace against islanders Thoddu is not the last and only the beginning of his potent form which for long has reminded stagnant. But then better late than never, Tom! Keep firing all cylinders dude!

Valencia clip Victory wings

An encounter that is must win for Victory to breath hot on the neck of VB Sports to remind them that they are very much on the chase to dislodge VB from its cozy parch took a pounding when a resilient Valencia made amends for previous loss with satisfactory draw. An enraged Suzain only source of contentment for a possible penalty was waved off with a yellow card for Mukthar for simulation. A beaten and forgiving coach’s only source of consolation is now the second spot which perhaps, if lady luck smiles its charm on them, can land them a ticket to AFC Cup. So keep with abated breath!

VB Sports brush off a hard-working AYL

Though Ashfag stamped his name on the previous match coming off the bench with a quick fire hatrick, the second-half substitute in this match could not repeat his feat against a very tactically sound AYL. But then a win and 3 points are all that matter and they keep doing it day in and day out in all its splendor. So no worry yet to be etched on the face of VB fans as far as their current forms in the league goes. If there is fire in the belly of Ashfag who had just served an eight-match ban for ill-at –ease behavior the trophy is all VBs’.

Mal-dive football of 2010

Maldives may be one of the smallest nations in the world with a population of over 300,000. However, that doesn’t mean our passion for things we like and games we play are any lesser in numbers and entertainment quotient. We had our share of Kuda Moosas and Kuda Heenas running amok Galolhu stadium to our heart’s content. If at all, our fans are bigger at heart and vocal at support when local football teams battle it out in the only stadium – Galolhu Stadium – we hold national tournaments.

We have 3-tier football system where 2nd and 3rd division dole out their talent free of cost, in open playground; 1st tier, of course goes more conspicuously by selling tickets. There are eight teams in the present format where long-drawn out league is played for the full season with an FA Cup tournament stuck somewhere in the middle. Altogether there are almost 43 registered clubs in all divisions with more than 700 players active for these teams.

But in recent times our football seems to have hit roadblock. It has lost its glow and sheen and the latest is on the back of tumultuous political, societal upheaval. To compound the matters the standard of football has taken a downward plunge with lack of development of quality players. The disillusionment is no more apparent than the present Dhiraagu Dhivehi league which is running to empty houses. The gulf in class among the teams are so huge that the bottom team in the league has not yet  won a match ( only two points with two draws) with final round of league in progress.

This year national football commemorate its 60th year in the wilderness but Galolhu Stadium wear a deserted look on match days with little activity in and around  stadium. The once colourful and vibrant fans are not to be seen anywhere…is this how you expect national sport greets its fans in the country in an important time in history rather than wallowing in near-anonymity?  The pitfalls are widespread and the onus onto us to take it from its sorry state of affairs to its former glory is by no means unchallenging and unprecedented.

The main sponsor of the league, Dhiraagu’s  attempt to revive the sport and adorn it in new avatar is still on bumpy road. Will life be the same again for Dhivehi football?