National football team coach Urban confirms injuries to key players for SAFF Championship

National football team coach Ishtewan Urban has confirmed that two key players will miss the SAFF Championship 2026 in Bangladesh due to injuries. The team arrived in Dhaka for the tournament, which is currently underway. Urban stated that Maziya forward Mohamed Ilan Imran and defender Haisham Hassan are important to his plans but will not be able to play due to their injuries. Speaking to the media before Friday evening's preparations in Bangladesh, Urban noted the pressure of having previously won the SAFF in Bangladesh but said the players will be prepared for it. Maldives has played in the final of the two previous SAFF Championships held in Bangladesh, in 2009 and 2018, winning the 2018 trophy by defeating India. Urban was a coach for the national team in 2009. He emphasised that the current team is very different from those squads and said his focus is on the upcoming match against Pakistan, scheduled for the eighth of this month.