Maldives Finalizes Futsal Squad for China International Tournament

The Maldives national futsal team has been finalized for the China International Futsal Tournament next month, with some changes made to the squad that won this year's SAFF Futsal Championship. Coach Farooq Zakirov, who guided the Maldives to victory in the SAFF Futsal Championship and secured the regional futsal title, will continue to coach the national team at the China International Futsal Tournament. The coach will join the team in China during the tournament, as he is currently engaged in other work. It is reported that besides the Maldives, China, South Korea, and Hong Kong will also compete in the tournament. The tournament will be held at the Lingwoo Sports Center in Yinchuan, China. In the tournament, the Maldives' first match against South Korea will take place on the fifth of next month, followed by a match against Hong Kong on the seventh of the same month. Additionally, the Maldives will face China on the ninth of next month. Looking at the squad selected for the tournament, there have been five changes from the squad that won the SAFF championship. Samin Mohamed Naseer (Sanko), Faiz Faiz (Faize), Shanahan Rashad, Sadhu Mohamed Nizar, and Ismail Wajeeh (Wajje) have been included in the final squad. Wajje was part of the preliminary squad before traveling to the SAFF tournament but lost his spot at the last minute. The players not included in this year's squad are Huzaifa Rashid (Huze), Hussein Shareef (Only), Ibrahim Najeeh (Hate), Abdullah Junaid (Jenny), and Ali Haisham (Chump). Mohamed Imran (Immi), who was named the best futsal player in the Maldives at the FAM Awards, continues to serve as the team captain.