Maldives has crowned themselves champions of the inaugural SAFF Futsal Championship today after a 3-1 victory over Bhutan.
Competing in Bangkok, the Maldives team secured the trophy with a game to spare, maintaining a perfect record of five wins in five matches to accumulate 15 points. With this performance, no other team in the seven-nation tournament can catch up to their point tally.
The victory against bottom-placed Bhutan came from a comeback performance, as Bhutan initially took the lead. However, the Maldivian side dominated the rest of the game, with Captain Mohamed Imran, Abdullah Junaid, and Ahmed Hameed scoring to seal the win.
Held in Thailand due to the lack of suitable courts in the SAARC region, the tournament has seen Maldives dominate not just in points but also in goal difference, currently standing at +19.
This marks the first Futsal Championship organized by SAFF. This triumph establishes Maldives as a formidable force in regional futsal, complementing its standing in traditional football, as they remain unbeaten and unchallenged throughout the competition.
