Ali Thameem
The President’s Cup has decided its semifinalists, as debutants Odi Sports Club made a comeback to knock out the previous runner-ups Club Eagles in the penultimate game of the group stage.
Having conceded a goal in the first half, Odi made a four-goal comeback in the second half. A brace from Ahuzam Rasheed, followed by goals from Ahmed Aiham and Ahmed Ayaaz, gave Odi the very first win in a President’s Cup game. Ibrahim Mahudhee was the one to score both the goals for Club Eagles, the opener and the sixth goal of the match. The final score stood 4-2.
With yesterday’s win and the point earned in the draw with New Radiant, Odi finished the group on top, edging New Radiant with a better goal advantage.
The debutants will now face Buru Sports Club in the semifinals.
Buru Sports Club had played the President’s Cup just once before – and were knocked out by Club Eagles in the semifinal of the 2023 edition. They had returned as the fourth-placed team of DPL. Just one win was enough for Buru to earn a place in the semifinals. Buru had lost the opening game against Maziya, but defeated Victory Sports Club 2-1 in the second game.
Being fairly new clubs to top-flight football, Odi and Buru had faced each other just twice – both instances in this season’s Dhivehi Premier League. Odi had won their first encounter with second-half goals from Looth and Muzdhan, helping them mount a comeback after Naaim had scored the opener for Buru. The two clubs faced each other for a second time in the seventeenth game week, where they settled for a 1-1 draw.
The semifinal match is scheduled for Saturday night. Regardless of the outcome, the President’s Cup will see a brand new finalist this year. The winner will face either Maziya SR or New Radiant in the final next Tuesday.
