Another semifinal defeat to Nepal

Feb 13, 2016 - 09:44:31 |
Naiz scored an extra time goal but later on Nepal scored twice to win the match by 4-3

Guwahati, INDIA – Maldives under 23 team lost to 10 men Nepal in the semifinal of SAFF Games by 4-3 today. During the normal time the score was 2-2 and Nepal won the game by 4-3 in the extra time of the game.

This is the second time that the Maldives lost to Nepal in the semifinal within the last one month under the helm of Ricki Herbert. Maldives lost to Nepal by 4-1 in the semifinal of Bangabandhu Gold Cup last month.

Nepal took the lead in the 14th minute from a good shot by Anjan Bista. Bimal supplied the ball from the right flank.

After the goal Nepal’s Bimal created two good goal scoring opportunities and keeper Jazal blocked one and the other one hits the woodworks.

Nawayug Shresthaa doubled the lead for Nepal from a superb chip inside the box hits the roof of the net. It was his fourth goal in this tournament.

Hamza Mohamed changed the score to 2-1 in the 51st minute from a good shot inside the box when Nashid supplied the ball after beating two players from Nepal.

In the 67th minute referee gave the marching orders to Kamal Shresthaa after two bookings for a foul on Fasir.

Five minutes before the normal time Ahmed Nashid leveled the game for the Maldives from a wonderful shot inside the box.

Naiz took the lead for the Maldives in the 113th minute. Nepal keeper tried to clear the cross from Samaam and unfortunately Naiz got the ball and he easily converted it to a goal.

Four minutes later Navayug Shresthaa leveled the game for Nepal after a poor defending from the Maldives defenders.

Shresthaa changed the score to 4-3 in the last minute of the extra time from a good shot inside the box. Another poor defending from the Maldives.

This is the second time that the Maldives lost to Nepal in the semifinal of a regional tournament.

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footballmad on Feb 13
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A question to ask Herbert and the coaching staff is what is it that's making it difficult to achieve results. OK, it was a better performance than in the last semi-final and we neraly made it but is the problem about not having training time, or facilities? Or is it still not knowing the players? Or is there another problem that we don't know about? We need Herbert and his staff to do more to motivate the players so that they can maintain tactical discipline through the whole match.
Boyko on Feb 13
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It is shame we couldn't capitalize on against 10-men napel. More so how we couldn't hold on to the lead with 5 minutes left on the clock. All boil down to sheer disorganisation in the defense. Not only their 3rd and 4th goals were defence and keeper mistakes it was the manner of our inept defending that was horrible. For their 4th goal keeper was in control of the situation as he had every chance of grabbing it as he was coming off the line but one of our defenders harried and recklessly came in front of him, tried to clear it only to send goal area for Nepal player to pounce on to score their winning goal. Since day one, since the first tournament it had been our poor defensive makeup that took the team down. Here also we made a hash of it from a winning position. It is inconceivable how we cannot maintain our tactics and defensive shape right against 10-men for large part of the game. A lot to correct for future games anyway! By the way it was so good to see them come from behind to level the game but to see their mental fortitude to break down in the final minutes...purrr what to say!!!@@@@
Ali on Feb 13
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What a match it was! Maldives players are not being able to give their best these days. I miss the good old days. I wish for a big change in the team/management. Congratulation to Nepalese players, played genuinely, played fair and played bravely. Good luck for the finals.
Player on Feb 13
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To lose against Nepal by playing well and with a tight score of 4-3 is no embarrassment. But only to get the control of the match when one of their players is red-carded but still cannot see out a match while we were in the lead with few minutes remaining is embarrassing. Lets get real, more to the point it is humiliating! That means we are third time knocked out at the semi-final stage in a span of three months. Aren’t we the biggest semi-final chokers in the region?
Knock on Feb 14
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Why did coach not reinforce our defence when we were in the lead with minutes remaining! He could really have made us a five- man defence with four-man midfield spearheaded by a lone striker with play aimed at to run down the clock. Our defence at the death was all over the place, they had decided too early there was no way back for Nepal. They were too eager to celebrate and took foot off the gas too early.
Fan on Feb 14
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When i heard from a friend that maldives had come from behind and levelled the score at 2-2, i thought this was unbelievable. That is great news. That is great character shown by our lads. When was the last we did make a such a fantastic comeback, that also when we were flondering at 2-0. Of cause i didn't know by then one of their players had been shown a red card and they were one man down. But i still thought it was remarkable when daadhu scored that goal in the extra time. Now we are leading by 2-3 with few minutes remaining. We are going to break the dubious distinction of getting crushed out in semi for the third time….only... only to see Napel score two goals in 3 minutes and prove once again we are the real old maldives who will fizzle out anyway in the closing stage of the game as usual. In our concentration. In fitness.
DhiFootball on Feb 14
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There were highs in the game but unfortunately it ended in a huge low. The highs first, the team will know that if the team tries they can come back from even a 2 goal deficit and they proved it today but the low of the game and lessons is that they would have learnt through harsh reality to never stop concentrating till the final whistle. I don't recall National team of maldives ever coming back while trailing by two at half time. We nearly did pulled it off today but guess today was not our day. Having said that, We still lack team play whilst Nepal did a better job maintaining the team game. We failed to take advantage of the extra player during the game. All in all tactics and team play needs to improve. Played well but felt the team is still a work in progress. Hope we see this team plus more young blood in the remaining World Cup qualifiers and I think we still have a chance to qualify for the Asian cup so suggest the football family to gear up for it. Always wishing and praying for the best to maldivian football, will be here supporting the team through thick and thin. Go on and win the bronze medal for us. You may have fallen, but am sure you all can get up running. Almost forgot to mention, but kudos to the girls team. Score line shows that you have improved a lot and if this continues you will soon be fighting for a medal and not to reduce goals conceded.
Offside on Feb 14
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If a world class coach cannot remady our ailing defence which at best is porous with tournament after tournament after tournament, three in all, who else can do it? But when I think of our defence in the days gone by, like when we drew nil-nil with Asian powerhouse South Korea in a world cup qualifier, i wonder how we did run out of good defenders. Did Sobah, jameel and Assad were freaky occourance of nature who come once every few generations? Or are we pathatic at producing good defenders?
footballmad on Feb 14
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I think your point does highlight a big issue. We don't celebrate defenders enough. We don't go scouting for them. We always see scorers in news and social media. An example, in the minivan50 people talked about and posted videos of the goal scorers. Nobody talked about the robust brave defenders of Feydhoo and other F.maathodaa. There are great defenders and goal keepers but Dhivehi league teams prefer foreign defenders and goal keepers.
Adey on Feb 14
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So who are we? Nearly men? Chokers? Has-beens? Journey men? Or second-hand footballers? And why do we always go out of semi finals , is it because everything about our football is at semi level : like as many people say our football is semi-professional and our player are semi- professional?
Kkk on Feb 14
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Need a basic guideline for the players to follow..including regular gym sessions..nt just the basic jogging..stretching etc..coach is good but needs an year more to rehabilitate the squad
Pandi on Feb 14
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Maldives problem during the SAFF suzuki cup, during Bandubang Cup and SAFF Games is the same. Defence lacks shape, cohesion and confidence. What the coach did do to improve that aspect of game is unkown. All we see is we get knocked out at semi. Does that mean he was only able to coach how to reach up to semi with time he got, that he requires more time to cross the barrier from semi final to final and then finally to champions? Or we need to look for a new coach?
ahmed abbas on Feb 15
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we need to upgrade our league first not to change coach or staff in our national team, if we change our coach or staff and its easy to do but it will repeat again again. my dear friends think high class way not a low class way ok
ivrahm on Feb 14
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herbat.. please leave this nation. resign. we dont want ur excuses.
ahmed abbas on Feb 15
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herbat or any coach can not improve our team becoz our league is very poor class, you can change coach or staff but finally you will see only no improvement to our team and in that time our football life will go 8years back hehehehehe you will see one day what i tell you remember me ok
fixer on Feb 14
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Not accusing the team of anything but I think there needs to be some probe into the possibility of match fixing in Maldives. Given the level of corruption in different levels in Maldives in so many other areas it is not beyond the possibility that match fixing may have plagued the Maldives too. But I guess for that issues within FAM needs to be sorted out.
footballmad on Feb 14
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That's a serious allegation. You gotta gave some sort of evidence to come up with that. Just to say it's s possibility is not enough. Having said that instead of an investigation, ee the fans need to know from FAM what international and approved mechanisms have been put in place to prevent match-fixing. If any fixing took place in our beloved game, we, the Dhivehi fans will be heart -broken and extremely disappointed..Many will leave the sport.
Ablaa on Feb 14
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Players did there best to come from behind and score 3 goals then last 3 minutes defeat is coach responsibility to stop opponents to score in last minutes, as a World Cup coach , now I have dout on this coach now, I don't this he has same quality as he took the team for the World Cup , better get rid of him for the sake of Maldivian football ,
Footy on Feb 14
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When FAM announced they were going to hire a world class coach who had taken his country team to world cup I was wondering wow, that is wonderful but at the same time I was thinking is that even possible? Who will want be a coach of small island nation when the region powers in our midst like India can only manage such swoop. If any body want to come South Asia how will he ignore a country of million football fans with a better league and choose a country of few lakhs withs a very modest football setup unless of cause he is about to wind down his career in a peaceful environment. Now that I see the results of our team he coaches no wonder not many people will have the patience to bear with him for results! If he had helped New Zealand to qualify for 2010 World Cup that is near miracle and a one-off, for as far as performances go he is an average coach who loses plot playing against 10-man.
Ahmed abbas on Feb 15
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coach is not the problem but the problem is our FAM ok how (he or any coach) can (promote or upgrade) any country national team without upgrading our local league (plz give me answer)
Sunil on Feb 14
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Friends don't keep blaming on each other. Nepal, The Himalayan Giants, played better football on that day, when they were 11 man and even after being 10 man. So, HATS OFF to Nepal and commiseration to Maldives for their try.
ahmed abbas on Feb 15
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our main problem is our local league ok. if you cant improve that, you will fail again and again. next year saff championship its the day what iam going tell you all same thing again, our football life is going not forward only going backward. this year you show what happen and next year you see big problem. i can tell you the scorer. Nepal, India and Bangladesh they are going to be very stronger then us i have 100% for that 7474659
ali on Feb 15
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i am really a good fan of maldives football. These frustrating results lead me to hate maldivian sport. we want back our glory days. #Tears

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