Male' Maldives: New Radiant Sports Club’s name and the reputation attached to it carry weight, but competing and winning at the highest level requires a well-balanced squad, according to head coach Ali Suzain.
New Radiant earned the opportunity to compete in the top tier of Maldivian football after Super United Sports (SUS) withdrew from the league due to financial difficulties.
With limited preparation time, the club assembled a squad in a short span, signing three Maldives National Team players, Hassan Raif Ahmed (Hanna), Ali Fasir (Sentey), and Mohamed Irufaan (Irey). They also brought in Pakistan national team goalkeeper Hanif Saqib, along with two Brazilians, midfielder Gomes da Silva and forward Nixon Guilherme.
In an exclusive interview with "Adhadhu Sports", Suzain admitted that striker Nixon failed to perform up to expectations, forcing the team to rely heavily on Sentey for goals. On days when Sentey failed to score, New Radiant struggled to secure points, a situation that saw them fall 11 points behind league leaders Maziya.
Goalkeeping issues also affected New Radiant during the first round. Saqib suffered an injury, prompting the club to sign Sri Lankan goalkeeper Kaveesh. However, a costly mistake from Kaveesh resulted in defeat against Odi Sports Club, and he later sustained an injury in the final Round One match against Maziya.
“I’m not giving excuses, I’m explaining the situations we faced in the first round,” Suzain said.
“To compete with well-balanced teams like Maziya and Odi Sports Club, we need the right balance. I know New Radiant’s name and my name matter, but we also need a balanced squad. I feel we are moving in the right direction after the additions made during this transfer window.”
Among the new signings is Mohamed Fasir, Sentey’s brother, who returned to top-tier Maldivian football for the first time since 2009. Fasir marked his return by scoring in New Radiant’s Round Two opener, a victory over Club Valencia.
The club also added Liberian international midfielder Yaya Bility and another striker to strengthen the squad.
“With these changes, I hope we will see the level New Radiant should be playing at by the end of Round Two,” Suzain added.
Suzain acknowledged that while he expected a five-point gap between New Radiant and league leaders Maziya, the current 11-point deficit is larger than anticipated. New Radiant currently sit third in the standings, five points behind Odi Sports Club, and Suzain reiterated that finding the right balance within the squad is crucial.
Maziya lead the standings with 31 points from 11 matches, followed by Odi on 25 points from 10 games, while New Radiant sit on 20 points from 10 matches.
“I’m not just talking about Real Madrid or Manchester United, I’m talking about facts,” he said. “On days when those teams fail to find balance, an average team having a good day can get results against them. If you don’t find the right balance, you will get defeated. That’s the reality.”
Suzain also agreed with remarks made by Maziya coach Luisma Hernandez and Odi coach Andres Garcia, both of whom stated that the second round of the league will present new challenges, with every team fighting for points and league positions.
New Radiant failed to win their final three matches of Round One in the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League but returned to winning ways with their Round Two victory over Club Valencia. In their next match, tonight, they will face Victory Sports Club, Suzain’s former team as both player and coach. New Radiant had defeated Victory 4-0 in their Round One encounter.
