Ali Thameem
Maldives have been knocked out of SAFF U20 Championship, following a 1-1 draw with Nepal this evening.
Maldives ended the group stage with two points in three games – a defeat and two draws.
Maldives lead at half-time, as captain Ilan scores against Nepal
Despite taking an early lead with a strike from Ilan Imran, Maldives were held back late in the second half, after Nepal’a Nishan Raj Lawat headed in a freekick in the 87th minute.
Ilan went on to win player of the match despite the setback. After full-time, he shared his feelings in a post-match interview.
“For everything, I say, Alhamdhulillah. We faced this championship on the back of a strong, an effective preparation”, said Ilan, who scored all three of Maldives’ goals in the championship.
“And I thank the supporters. We have seen full support. What we seen is a packed stadium”.
When asked about the prospects of the team, Ilan reassured that “This is not the end. This is just the beginning. Insha Allah, in next year’s tournaments, and the tournaments to come this year, we will give extra effort, and our improvement will be seen”.
Ilan says that, compared to the first match, the team has seen much improvements today. “This is a step-by-step process. Winning SAFF Championship, that is something that could not possibly be an over-night process.”
Maldives were the team to take the lead against both Sri Lanka and Nepal. Sri Lanka managed a narrow win, while group leaders Nepal were held back for the first time. The game against Bhutan ended in a goalless draw.
