Male' Maldives: Maziya Sports & Recreation’s bid to reach the 2025/26 AFC Challenge League group stage ended in disappointment after a 4–0 loss to Kuwait’s Al Arabi in the decisive playoff clash.
Al Arabi, fresh from a training camp in Abu Dhabi, began with intensity under the guidance of Portuguese coach Marcos Alves. The away side, struck early, taking the lead inside three minutes through Nigerian forward Anayo Iwuala, who finished clinically from inside the box.
Home side, Maziya attempted to respond, with Hamza Mohamed (Hampu) and Ahmed Aiham pushing forward in search of an equalizer, but their efforts fell short.
Al Arabi continued to dictate the pace, doubling their advantage before the break when former Stoke City striker Fontaine Ngoy converted with precision.
The second half saw a more determined Maziya side with substitutions, but the Kuwaiti outfit remained in control.
Christopher Powei extended the lead before Hussain Mohsen sealed the victory, confirming Al Arabi’s place in the group stage. Mohsen came as a substitute to score in the final moment of the game.
The result marked Maziya’s first-ever defeat in an AFC qualifier.
Previously, the Maldivian champions had advanced on both occasions — defeating Ceres of the Philippines in 2014 and overcoming Dhaka Abahani (Bangladesh) and Bengaluru FC (India) in 2020 to reach the AFC Cup group stage.
With their continental journey over, Maziya will now shift focus to domestic competitions, aiming to regroup and build on the lessons from this campaign.
