Kathmandu, Nepal (August 24): The Maldives fell 1-0 to the defending champions, India, and were knocked out of the SAFF U20 Championship.
The Maldives ended the competition without earning a single point, falling short in both of their games during the final moments. Bhutan scored in stoppage time to defeat the Maldives 2-1, while India also secured their victory with a late goal.
India topped Group B with six points, Bhutan secured second place and a semi-final spot with three points, and the Maldives finished at the bottom without any points.
In the match held at ANFA Complex, Maldives goalkeeper Mohamed Yaameen kept India at bay for most of the game until he was finally beaten by a long-range shot from substitute Manglenthang Kipgen, who scored in the final minute of stoppage time.
The Maldives had their chances, with Muzdhaan Hassan missing a close opportunity and captain Shanan Rashad's free kick just going over the crossbar.
India will now face Bangladesh in the semi-final, while the hosts Nepal will play against Bhutan in the other semi-final.
A victory for the Maldives would have secured them a spot in the semi-finals. Maldives coach Ahmed Shakir (Shaakitte) emphasized that the team's strategy was to defeat India, as they had no other viable option.
“Our plan was to win the match because that was our only chance. We came with the intention to win, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as we hoped. Once again, I would say we were unlucky to lose,” Shakir remarked.
He noted that, given the current state of Maldives football, the team performed well and would focus on the positives as they move forward. The Maldives are set to compete in the Asian U20 qualifiers at the end of next month.
