Maldives finalise SAFF Championship squad, depart for Bangladesh

The Maldivian squad for the SAFF Championship 2026 has been finalised and is set to depart for Bangladesh tomorrow. The tournament, the largest regional football competition, kicks off tomorrow in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Maldives were the only team yet to travel to Bangladesh ahead of the competition. Their first match is scheduled for the eighth day of this month, and the team will fly to Bangladesh via Sri Lanka. For preparation, the team recently held a short training camp in Indonesia, where they played two competitive matches. The 23-player squad that travelled to Indonesia included Hamdan, captain of Buru Sports Club, who was a new inclusion and earned a spot in the final squad under coach Istiwan Urbani. Several players are making their first SAFF Championship appearance, including Ahmed Ayham (Ayhu) from Addu Sports Club, Mazdan Hassan, Mohamed Ashwan and Ahzam Rashid (Ah), Abdullah Luthu Ibrahim (Sane) and Nassaah Ibrahim Naseer from Maziya Sports and Recreation, Ahmad Maish Rashid (Mai) from Victory Sports Club, Ithan Ibrahim Zaki from New Radiant Sports Club, Mohamed Naeeem and Hassan Inaz from TC Sports Club. Touif Qasim (Toppa), who was part of the training camp, missed out on a place in the final squad. Forward Mohamed Ilan Imran was ruled out of the preliminary squad due to injury and is not included in the final selection. Defender Haisham Hassan (Bidi) is also absent due to injury. The Maldives have won the SAFF Championship twice before, in 2008 and 2018.