Male' Maldives: Maldives football community is mourning the loss of Ibrahim Ifrah Areef (Ifra), former national team goalkeeper and member of the country’s historic 2008 SAFF Championship-winning squad, who passed away tonigh at the age of 36.

Ifra suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on Monday and was admitted to ADK Hospital in critical condition. Despite undergoing surgery and being placed in a medically induced coma, he was kept in ventilator, he sadly did not recover.

Ifra’s passing comes just months after the loss of fellow 2008 heroes Mohamed Arif (Baka) and Ihusan Abdul Ghani (Saanthi), adding to the nation’s heartbreak. His legacy as a dedicated professional and patriotic servant of Maldivian football will be cherished for generations.

Widely regarded as one of the nation’s finest goalkeepers of his generation, Ifra began his career at Club Valencia and rose to prominence at Maziya Sports & Recreation.

He also captained the Maldives U-19 national team and represented the country at the Asian Games, South Asian Games, and Olympic qualifiers before breaking into the senior side in 2007.

His proudest moment came in 2008, when he was part of the squad that delivered the Maldives its first SAFF Championship. He was last included in the National squad back in 2018.

At club level, Ifra represented some of the Maldives’ biggest sides, including New Radiant SC, Victory SC, BG Sports, and TC Sports Club, leaving his mark with memorable performances.