| Maldives 'so unlucky' to find a place in ASIA's big tournaments
05 January 2006
Uploaded: 05.01.2006, 8:50 AM
Assad (R) against Lebanon in WC Qualifying: Maldives players need
better International exposure
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MALDIVES - FAM’s general secretary Ibrahim Ismail admits that Maldives couldn’t find a place in AFC’s two major tournaments that will be played in 2006: AFC Asian Cup 2007 Qualification and AFC Challenge cup. AFC Asian Cup Qualification of 24 teams including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan will start next month. All the SAARC countries will compete in the Challenge cup except Maldives, is scheduled to kick off in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Challenge cup is a tournament open for Football emerging nations.
'We are not considered in the category that's why we were not able to participate in the cup' Ibrahim Ismail said about the Challenge Cup.
Maldives is placed in the level 2 of AFC categories and Challenge cup is open for level 3 nations. When India is being included in the draw, Ibrahim Ismail tried personally to find why Maldives has been rejected.
‘I personally asked why another category nation is able to participate and they replied saying that they (AFC) decided it’
Asian Cup 2007 Qualification round is another major event Maldives lost the chance to participate. Out of the countries that submitted the proposal for participation, AFC chose 25 best proposals, which doesn’t include Maldives, but Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh was selected.
To make the total no. of teams in the qualification to 24, AFC decided to play two playoff matches between the two lowest ranked nations, that is Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh won the playoff, but Pakistan too got the chance in the qualification when Sri Lanka took back their name in the last name due to their disappointing result in SAFF championship.
If Maldives got the chance in the qualification they will play a total of six matches, three home and away matches, against some of the best teams of Asia. A good opportunity to give more experience and confidence to the local boys, but blown away may be due to a poor proposal and nobody ‘has’ to take the responsibility and again we are left behind with the questionable 'unlucky' saga.
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