Just when we thought junior national team had pulled off the predictable result of nil-nil draw against Indonesia and, just when Suzeyn thought his defensive game tactics had worked and, just when the players thought that they had made it Lady Luck intervened to contrive an entirely different story in the first, away leg of pre preliminary round of Olympic next year.

The fact that Maldives resistance broke and concede a goal in the final minute of 4-minute stoppage time not only threw away all the good work all the eleven players did for the good part of the game, but also the best-laid plan of newly-recruited man in the dug out and the rejuvenation we thought a home-grown coach- inspired team had in the friendly matches against Malaysia.

The fact that we were as good as Indonesia for 93 minutes may not tell you the whole story. But then, the real truth will not be masked from the fact since coach Suzeyn was forced to employ defensive strategy up against supposedly a better team. There is nothing better than defensive –minded game – get all the players behind the ball as much as they can and launch counter attack in tandem – against a better side as it is the only viable option; that it wouldn’t work till the final whistle is entirely different matter.

You cannot blame the player for the last minute blander just like you cannot blame the coach. It’s not the coach’s problem that players lack of experience was exposed, it’s a matter fully vested with FAM.

If FAM is run like a astute body which has a pre-conceived or pre-planned time table on how national team, junior or senior, should be run just like English FA or other European football bodies, long back we would have won a gold from a regional tournament like SAFF

See how English FA has laid out their club and national team fixtures. Don’t they play a friendly match every three month, junior or senior national team? Apart from the exposure and match experiences won’t the team be always ready for any international tournament?

Do you ever remember a Maldives national team play a friendly even just for the sake of it? Big no. Did we ever prepare for an international tournament in advance, with time in hand, just like as was reported by Indonesia’s preparation for this match? No. Few weeks of hastily-arranged camp in foreign country is all players manage, by was of experience or to hone and fine-tune their skills. How on earth with this will ever be enough?

You may say don’t compare a tiny country like Maldives with Asian superiors or European bigwigs like England. But, aren’t we supposed to learn from people better than us? Isn’t that how you acquire experiences and set new benchmarks when setting new targets?

Maldives junior team still has the opportunity to redeem its name here in home turf. But will a win and subsequent qualification mask the not-so-healthy truth that, we unable to impose on ourselves in any international match beyond the borders of SAARC countries, is forever remaining a dark spot in our national game’s so-called best-laid plan to development. That we always have to employ a defensive strategy rather than an attack-minded game is not the best approach for a team still looking for its first gold. Counterattacks won’t win you competitions.