Ali Thameem
Naifaru has emerged victorious in Group G, defeating Dhaalu Meedhoo 2-0 in today’s evening game.
The capital of Lhaviyani appeared for the first time in nine days and put Meedhoo on the brink of elimination. The first goal came in the stoppage time of the first half, as Mohamed Izaan’s header from a loose ball took a deflection on its way in, registering it as an own goal by a Meedhoo defender. Meedhoo defenders failed to clear from a corner kick.
Ten minutes into the second half, Mohamed Nadheem struck a lowball from the D-area into the near post, extending the lead for Naifaru.
With the three points earned from today’s win, Naifaru has booked a spot in the quarterfinals. The capital of Lhaviyani will return to face Addu City on Sunday night, as they look to end the group stage on top. All hope is not lost for Meedhoo. Although they lost their own influence on the result, Meedhoo has a narrow chance of qualifying to the knock-outs, if Naifaru defeats Addu City by a lead of three or more goals.
Meedhoo’s journey in the Ninety-Plus Gold Cup has been chaotic; narrowly escaping the first phase of the group stage despite scoring seven points, they booked a spot in the second phase after defeating Kudahuvadhoo on Saturday. In Tuesday’s turbulent game against Addu City, Meedhoo were on the losing side for almost the entire 90 minutes but managed to equalize just before full-time.
