All You Need to Know About the Maldives Football Team

The Blue Tigers Will take on the Maldives on 19th March.

Gearing up for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, the Indian national football team is set to face the Maldives football team at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 19th March in a friendly game.

Manolo Marquez’s side is seeking a morale boosting result after ending 2024 without a win. With the Blue Tigers set to open their Asian Cup – Round 3 qualification campaign against Bangladesh on 25th March, the game against Maldives would be an important dress rehearsal for Sunil Chhetri and co.

History and Major Achievements of the Maldives Football Team

The Maldives football team nicknamed the Sea or the Red Snappers, played their first official football game against Seychelles in 1979. Maldives are currently ranked 162nd in the FIFA Rankings with their highest rank being 124th in July and August 2006.

The Sea Snappers have made 11 appearances in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship and 2 appearances in the AFC Challenge Cup over the years. However, in their footballing history, the Maldives have failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup or the FIFA World Cup.

In terms of trophies, the Island nation has won the SAFF Championship on two occasions (2008, 2018). The Maldives football team also had a commendable 2014 AFC Challenge Cup tournament, where they finished third, losing to the Philippines in the semifinal.

Maldives’ national football team has further won a silver medal and a bronze medal in the South Asian Games.

Also Read: Indian Football Team Rival Watch: Maldives

Maldives All-Time Greatest Players and Current Threats

Former captain and one of the best goalkeepers from the island, Imran Mohamed made 110 appearances for the Maldives football team between 2000 and 2016. Imran spent his entire club career in his own nation, with his best coming with Victory Sports Club.

In terms of goalscorers, Ali Ashfaq holds the record for scoring the most goals in national colors. The forward scored 58 goals and 98 appearances for Maldives and he also has the second-highest caps for his country. Ali Ashfaq retired in 2023 from the national team after a career that spanned 20 years.

The current Maldives national football team is led by defender and captain Ali Samooh. Forwards Ali Fasir and Hamza Mohamed are veterans in the squad and can certainly punish the Blue Tigers if they take the duo for granted in the upcoming friendly game.

Who are the football rivals of Maldives?

While Maldives don’t have a traditional “rival”, the Indian national football team, Bangladesh Football team and the Sri Lankan football team could be considered as their rivals. The Red Snappers have played these SAFF three nations the most and hence it’s also a very competitive game.

Maldives’ record vs India

The two nations first competed in the South Asian Federation Games on 30th November 1987 as the Blue Tigers registered a dominant 5-0 win. The latest meeting between the two sides came in the 2021 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship as India won 3-1 against Maldives.

Total number of games played – 21

Games won by India – 15

Games won by Maldives – 4

Games that ended in a draw – 2

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