Tag: football

Maldives trounced in second-leg Olympic qualifier

Hong Kong soundly saw off the Maldives yesterday for a place in the second round of the Asian football qualifying matches for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, scoring three goals that allowed them ultimately to finish 7-0 victors over the course of two matches.

Three goals, all scored within the first half of the second leg match, allowed Hong Kong to confidently move into the next round of qualifiers to be drawn against other victorious teams from the around region at the end of the month.

Already four goals down from their first encounter in Hong Kong, any hopes for a Maldivian comeback were extinguished within twenty minutes of yesterday’s game when Lam Hok Hei netted his first goal of the match. Stephen Ha added to the score line four minutes later and a third was later claimed by Lam in the closing minutes of the first half.

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Maldives suffers defeat in Olympic football qualifier

The Hong Kong national football team yesterday managed to make the most of home advantage to defeat their Maldives counterparts 4-0 during the first-leg match of their opening qualifier for a place in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) reported that the home side were able to take the lead by the second minute of the match with a goal from To Hon To, though the Maldives doggedly managed to keep the deficit to a single goal until the second half.

However, the floodgates opened at the Hong Kong Stadium on the 64th minute when defender Yuen Tsun Nam added to the home side’s lead, which was extended by two further strikes from James Ha in the 83rd and 86th minutes of the match.

The Maldives have another match to try and overcome the current score line, though the momentum for a place in the next stage of the Olympic Games qualifiers will be against them in the return fixture set for Male’ on 9 March.

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Maldives to host Asian football tournament qualifiers

The Maldives is to begin hosting qualifying matches for the AFC challenge Cup 2012 football tournament as of next month that will see teams from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau and Cambodia compete in the country for a spot in the 2015 Asian Cup.

Ali Azim, president of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) told Haveeru that the country had been chosen to host the group C matches between itself, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the victor of a playoff contested between Macau and Cambodia.

The paper reported that the Maldives has previously hosted similar qualifying matches back in 2009, ahead of the 2010 challenge cup.

However, the country finished in second place behind Turkmenistan during qualifying; losing out to Bangladesh, which qualified to the tournament as the group runner up with the highest goal difference.

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MNDF denies threatening DRP MP and head of FAM

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has denied threatening to set fire to the car of DRP MP and Football Association head Ali Azim.
The media reported allegations by Azim that the MNDF had threatened him after the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) decided not to allow any of the Force’s teams to participate in their tournaments.
“It is false to say MNDF threatened him, I am totally sure that MNDF would never fall to such a low level,’’ MNDF spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem told Minivan News. “All the telephones here are easily accessible to almost all the staff, so it is possible that a staff member working here called him and made the threat.’’

He said that did not mean that it was an “official call” from the MNDF.

‘’It is very difficult to track down the person who called, but MNDF and the police are trying to figure it out,’’ Raheem said.

“Although we were all demoralised by the decision of FAM to disallow our participation in the tournaments, we would not do something like this,” he said. “We eagerly want to take part in the FAM tournaments and we are still trying for it.’’

Everything the MNDF did to regain access to the tournament would be conducted in accordance with the laws.

Azim had told local newspapers that a number belonging to the MNDF contacted his brother and threatened that his car will be set on fire.

‘’The phone call was made from an MNDF number to Mohamed Shiyaz [brother of Azim]. The caller said they had been trying to get in touch to me, and told him to tell me  they will set fire to my car,’’ Azim told the media.

Haveeru called the number and found it belonged to the MNDF’s communication department.

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17 year old bleeds to death after gang-linked triple stabbing

Police are investigating the murder of a 17 year old boy who was stabbed to death by a group of men during an apparent gang fight.

The 17 year old was stabbed in the leg on Friday afternoon near the Social Centre in Maafannu, Male’.

He was admitted to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital and treated for more than eight hours in the Intensive Care Unit, but the knife severed a major artery and despite an emergency blood transfusion he died the following morning at 6:15am.

He was was buried that afternoon at Aasahara cemetery.

A person familiar with the matter told Minivan News the boy was stabbed when he climbed onto the back of a lorry after watching a football match at Maaziya football ground.

“He was with his friends on a lorry and about to leave, when they were attacked by a group of people people armed with stones and sticks,” the source said. “After a while they came close and stabbed him with a knife. Two other boys were also stabbed, one in the chest and another in the leg.’’

All three victims were taken to IGMH around 6pm.

One of the victims told Minivan News today that a squad of police were active in the area prior to the incident but were unable to control the eruption of violence in the area.

‘’Police officers were running around, but they seemed shocked and didn’t know what to do,’’ said the victim. “The police officers didn’t help, so I ran to IGMH with my friend.’’

The IGMH doctors stitched his wound and told him it was fine, he said.

‘’I was discharged from IGMH that night and I went home, but I did not feel well. I was having difficulty breathing, but since they said I was fine, I thought I was fine,’’ he said.

“Later, I realised air was spreading inside my body and my back, chest, neck and arms were puffing up.’’

He said he went to ADK hospital last night.

‘’Doctors at ADK said that I had been stabbed in the lungs and that one of my lungs had stopped functioning,’’ he said. ‘’They said if I had been any later the air would have reached my brain and they would not have been able to help me.’’

He was admitted at ADK hospital and had a pipe inserted into his lungs due to stem the internal bleeding.

He said that the other boy who was stabbed had been discharged.

The following afternoon two more boys were stabbed in Mahchangolhi, one in the head and another in the back.

A person familiar with the matter said neither were seriously injured.

“One boy was stabbed neat Mahchangolhi cemetery and other was stabbed near Ameenee building,’’ he said. ‘’It was around 11:00 am in the morning – they were stabbed at the same time, one after the other.’’

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed six people were stabbed over the weekend, one fatally.

“Four people were injured on Friday and one of them died. Yesterday afternoon two were injured,’’ he said.

Police have arrested 11 people in connection with the case. Police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) launched a special operation on July 15 to investigate gang violence.

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MNDF club take out 3rd division title

MNDF club have won the national 3rd division football title, beating the Police club 3-2 on penalties to win the final.

The match was held on the Maafanu turf ground.

At full time the scores were level 1-1, with MNDF striking first to gain an early goal through Ibrahim Mohamed. The Police club had a late equaliser courtesy of Mohamed Nizam.

In the penalty shoot out that followed, MNDF goalkeeper Mohamed Binaahu made three saves.

Supporters from both clubs were banned from entering the stadium for the final as the previous match between the two clubs had led to heated exchanges.

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Football stadium opened in Hinnavaru

President Mohamed Nasheed opened a football stadium on Hinnavaru island.

The stadium was built by Palm Beach Resort and Spa and was opened in a ceremony on Sunday, which was followed by a football match was played between a Hinnavaru team and a Palm Beach team.

Nasheed said the stadium would assist the development of sport in the region.

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VB sports fined by FIFA

VB Sports Club has been fined by FIFA over the contract terminations of two foreign players in 2007.

The two players, Sergio and Bovaria, both from Argentina, were among the first foreign players bought by the club after its re-branding from Island Football Club, to VB Sports.

According to Haveeru the club CEO has confirmed that club had been fined by FIFA, but did not know the exact amount.

However, Haveeru reported that the amount was believed to be USD 50,000.

The reason for the contract termination was due to the players not being up to standard. The only game they played was the tsunami charity match, and both had given a very poor performance.

Their contracts were terminated before the season had started.

Haveeru reports that the club is barred from participating in the AFC cup, until they paid the fine.

Over the last few weeks VB have been signing many big names in preparation for the AFC cup.

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István Urbányi takes charge of under 23’s

National team coach, István Urbányi has charge of the under 23 football team who are training for the SAFF games.

Urbányi has been home in Hungary for a short holiday, but has now returned to the Maldives.

Haveeru reports that Urbányi will confirm the names if the three senior players that are allowed in the squad after he consults his technical team.

According to the Sports ministry, the team is set to go to Malaysia and Thailand on the 18th for further training.

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