Colombo, Sri Lanka: Maldives National Football Team have been crowned champions of the South Asian Super Cup, defeating hosts Sri Lanka with a 4–1 aggregate victory in Colombo.
The tournament, organized by the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), was originally planned as a four-team event, but with Bangladesh and Bhutan opting out, it was contested across two legs between the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Maldives took firm control in the first leg with a dominant 3–0 win, before securing the title with a 1–1 draw in the second leg at the Colombo Racecourse Stadium, where both sets of fans created a lively atmosphere.
The second leg was a tense battle, with both sides coming close in the first half. Maldives striker, Ibrahim Mahudhee (Feydhoo Ibbe), who scored in the first leg, struck the crossbar with a powerful effort from distance, while Sri Lanka’s Dillon De Silva clipped the far post from close range.
The breakthrough came in the 67th minute, when in-form striker Naiz Hassan (Dhaadhu) found the net. A cross from substitute Ali Fasir was headed against the bar by Feydhoo Ibbe, and Dhaadhu reacted quickest to slot home on the rebound. Sri Lanka equalized deep into stoppage time through Oliver Kelaart, but it was too late to alter the outcome.
This result continues Sri Lanka’s long wait for a win over the Maldives, with their last victory dating back to 2002.
For the Maldives, the triumph carries added significance as coach Mohamed Shiyaz (Mohan) became the first local coach to lead the national team to an international trophy. All of Maldives’ previous titles had been achieved under foreign coaches.
This Super Cup victory adds to the Maldives’ growing list of footballing honors, which includes:
2008 SAFF Championship (Sri Lanka)
2012 Mahindra Rajapaksa U23 Tournament (Sri Lanka)
2018 SAFF Championship (Bangladesh)
2025 South Asian Super Cup (Sri Lanka)
The win not only strengthens Maldives’ reputation in South Asian football but also highlights the progress of local coaching and the rising standard of the national squad.
