Football-Seychelles invited for Maldives friendlies |09 November 2011

The trip – from November 20-26 – is at the invitation of the Maldives Football Association, which is taking care of all the costs.

Twenty players and seven officials will make up the Seychelles delegation for the trip.

The invitation illustrates the mutual friendly relationship between the two countries’ football bodies.
 
The Seychelles squad thumped the Maldives 5-1 at Stad Linite to finish top of group A on the way to winning the gold medal for the first time at the 8th Indian Ocean Island Games the country hosted in August this year.,
The friendly matches will be part of the Maldives’ preparation for the 10th South Asia Football Federation (SAFF) Championships to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, India from December 2-11.

The SAFF Championship – previously South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup – is the main football competition for men's national football teams governed by the SAFF. Previous names have included the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup in 1993 and South Asian Gold Cup 95 in 1995.

Countries who compete in the biennial tournament are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Since its inception, the competition has developed into South Asia’s premier football tournament, promoting the regional development of the game.

Runners up at the last competition in 2009 – after losing 3-1 to India on penalty shoot-out – the Maldives have been drawn in group B alongside Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

R. D.