Madagascar thrashes Maldives

Aug 05, 2015 - 01:42:16 |
Hamza trying to beat Madagascar player tonight. Maldives lost the match by 4-0. (Photo: MOC)

Saint Denis, REUNION – Madagascar thrashed Maldives tonight by 4-0 in the 9th Indian Ocean Island Games and confirmed a place in the semi final of the tournament.

Maldives started the game very well and created good chances in the first half and unfortunately they couldn’t score a goal.

In the third minute Ahmed Imaz beat his marker and supplied a good ball into the box from the right flank but Hamza’s shot inside the box went straight to the keeper.

Henry Charles broke the deadlock from a good shot inside the box while Maldives players tried to clear it from the danger zone.

Madagascar doubled the lead in the first minute of second half from a descent shot just out side the box.

In the extra time of the game Madagascar changed the sore to 4-0 from a superb shot inside the box.

Maldives coach Velizar Popov said that he is happy with the performance even though they lost the game.

“I am happy with the performance and the players did their best. Madagascar is much better than us and that’s the difference.”

“With these three games I got a clear idea about the team and I knew what we need to do before the SAFF Championship. I thing that I knew is that these players are not ready to play three competitive games in six days and this is what we have to do in SAFF Championship.”

“I need 22 players who can enter the field at any time and I want to rotate the team.”

With this defeat Maldives is out of competition with just one win and two defeats.

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footballmad on Aug 05
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Although this is clearly a disappointing result, on the whole if we put the IOIG campaign into context, I'd say we have done OK. For one, we went without many key players including the captain, the vice-captain and the goal keeper plus more. On the positive side, our younger players got some invaluable experience including the chance to try out Imran in the starting line-up. Secondly, we have to consider that in this campaign we managed to record our first win in 3 attempts in the history of the games.
rodondo on Aug 05
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If we closely look some of the matches’ national team have played over the years, it is clearly evident that our defenders avoidable mistakes in the later stage of the match, particularly in the final 30 minutes, have let down us. Their lapse in concentration at the critical moment, a hasty half-hearted clearance which gifts the ball to opposition striker to score the simplest of goals, lack of organisation and coordination with defensive midfielder(s), fitness problems preventing them from making necessary challenges to avert the danger and the list goes on. Coach needs to give special attention to these problems, rectify the fitness problem of defenders and defensive midfielders as they need to be ever vigilant for the whole 90 minutes. I don’t understand why our wing players don’t backtrack to help the defenders when we lose possession in our own half. It is the same as our last SAFF Championship. One of our defenders made a clumsy clearance in the final minute of the game and it cost us the game, the tournament. He did not clear the danger and it fell on the feet on an opponent who drove it straight into the far corner of Imran goal. In this tournament too, defenders made mistakes that should have been avoided. They were not in their elements, they were nervous. Also defensive midfielder was not working in tandem with defenders to minimise the threat. Most of all there was no leading player to lead the pack. We were kind of lost, waiting for the final whistle. We must actually work on good defensive strategy for the next tournament and improve the overall fitness of the whole team if we are to make any good impression.
foari on Aug 05
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Lets participate U23 for these cups ... we cant rely on those senior players ... I am totally against senior players ... I like to ask FAM to Extend the coaches contract and bring Urbanyi as a trainer ...
agon on Aug 06
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Firstly we need to realize the following 1 - we are not a strong footballing nation 2 - we will never be a strong footballing nation realistically because of our small population 3 - we are possibly the smallest team physically. 4 - our players think they are the best in the world. 5 we have names like Messi and Ronaldo in our teams. 6 WE are not a strong footballing nation!
footballmad on Aug 09
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Warning, the above comment bears all the hallmarks of a morale destroyer and is incredibly pessimistic. By the commenter's logic, the world's top nations should be China followed by India. Or given player sizes, Latin American countries and Asian top countries like Japan should have never reached the World Cup and should be won by Scandinavian countries. With due respect, I'd say this comment should be ignored if we are to progress further in Asia.

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