Ali Thameem
STELCO Recreation Club is crowned champions of the King’s Cup 2026, as they defeated The Hawks 7-4 in last night’s final game.
Although it was a final game with eleven goals, STELCO were not trailing behind at any point in the game. They were the first to take the lead. And although The Hawks fought back and equalized twice, STELCO took back control and ran away with the lead.
Nine of the eleven goals were scored in the second period of the game.
The first half was an equally fought contest. Nazaam’s sixth-minute strike gave STELCO the opening lead. But the lead was soon neutralized by Mohamed Fasir, equalizing from the spot for The Hawks.
Just seconds after the second half kicked off, STELCO’s Shuaidh Saeedh gave the lead following an attack from the right flank.
Hawks equalized for the second time as Mohamed Saadh Nizaar flicked in a pass from Ulan Batyrbek Uulu. But a brace from Ibrahim Rimaah within five minutes gave STELCO a two-goal lead. In the final three minutes of the game, when The Hawks were on power play with Ishan Hassan as goalkeeper, both Shuaidh and Nazaam put a second goal to their names. Mohamed Sirukhaan’s control of the ball into an empty net on the counter within the final seconds of the game was the nail in the coffin of Hawks, as STELCO became the kings of the futsal kings of Maldives.
The top 5 players of the tournaments were all finalists. Ibrahim Rimaah, Shuaidh Saeed and goalkeeper Adhuham Ahmed from champions STELCO made the list. The remaining two were Mohamed Fasir and Ulaan Batyrbek Uulu of The Hawks.
Stelco narrowly qualified for the knockouts, as the third placed team from their group. They knocked out STO in the semifinals with a 2-1 victory, before overcoming Cora Cora with a 6-5 goal fest in the semifinals.
