Nonthaburi, Thailand: Maldives National Men’s Futsal Team were crowned the inaugural SAFF Futsal Champions after coming from behind to defeat Bhutan 3–1 at the Nonthaburi Indoor Stadium Hall in Thailand.
Maldives entered the match knowing that victory would secure the championship with a game to spare, having won their opening four matches of the tournament. Despite facing their toughest test yet, the team once again demonstrated composure, resilience, and quality to seal a historic triumph.
Much like Nepal’s approach earlier in the competition, Bhutan adopted a compact defensive setup, looking to exploit Maldives on the counterattack. The strategy paid off in the 12th minute when Jigme Tshultrim finished a swift counter, following a perfectly weighted assist from Nima Wangdi. The goal marked the first time in the tournament that Maldives had fallen behind in a match.
Maldives responded with sustained pressure and were eventually rewarded just before halftime. With a minute remaining in the first half, Hussain Shareef (Only) set up Abdulla Junaid (Jeynne) outside the penalty area, and his powerful strike found the top corner to level the score.
Early in the second half, Maldives were awarded a free kick at the edge of the area. Ahmed Hameed (Ammadey) stepped up and rifled a stunning effort into the top corner to give Maldives the lead. From that moment on, Maldives took full control of the match, launching a series of attacks on the Bhutanese goal.
Captain Mohamed Imran (Immi) came close to extending the lead, only to be denied by Bhutan goalkeeper Tashi Norbu. However, in the closing stages, Immi found space at the far post and calmly finished to seal the victory and confirm the championship title.
With 15 points from five matches, Maldives are now mathematically out of reach of their closest challengers and head into their final group match as champions-elect. Maldives will face Sri Lanka on Monday, after which the official trophy presentation and awards ceremony will take place.
Maldives’ title-winning campaign has been marked by dominance and consistency. They opened the tournament with a 7–1 victory over Pakistan, followed by wins against Bangladesh (6–1), India (5–0), Nepal (2–1), and Bhutan (3–1), maintaining an unbeaten and invincible record throughout the competition.
The historic achievement marks a major milestone for Maldivian futsal and firmly establishes Maldives as the leading force in the region.
