Ali Thameem
When Andres Garcia Soler took the helm of Odi Sports Club ten months ago, the club was sailing in uncharted waters. Their former coach, Ian Gillan, had parted ways with the club after signing just weeks prior. The players had been eagerly waiting for the DPL to kick off. It had been eighteen months since they were crowned Second Division champions. But Odi had yet to make their entrance onto the big stage of the Dhivehi Premier League.
“When we started this journey in August 2025, we never imagined that we could compete with the country’s giants and make history”, writes the Spaniard, announcing his farewell from Odi Sports Club this morning. “It has been the best season of my life, and I have had a wonderful experience”.
Right from the start of Dhivehi Premier League season, Garcia had brought out the best of his players. His style of play was unprecedented in domestic football. Odi became a feared opponent even for the well-established clubs within the league.
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Of the 23 games he has been in charge of Odi, the club lost just six. In other words, Odi played with a 73.4% unbeaten record under Garcia. With 48 goals across the league and the President’s Cup, Odi had averaged 2.0 goals per game. Only Maziya have had a better ratio of goals per game than Odi.
Garcia had not only made match between a relatively new mix of players, he also introduced some of the brightest youngsters and made their talent known to the public. The likes of Muzdhaan Hassan, Ahzam Rasheed and Mikyaal Mueen, are some of the teenagers he turned from prodigies into national figures, all withing the span of a season.
Today, as he says farewell to the club, Odi is no longer a newcomer. They are one of the biggest names in domestic club football. They are the President’s Cup champions and the runner-ups of Dhivehi Premier League. Not since TC Sports Club in 2018 have we seen any other club burst onto the top-flight scene like this.
“I will always be one more sailor”, Garcia wrote. “And I will support you wherever I am”. After all, the captain might have stepped down, but the ship must sail beyond.
