The senior national football team of the Maldives achieved a dominant 3–0 win against Sri Lanka in the inaugural match of the South Asian Super Cup, played Saturday evening in Colombo.

The Maldivian squad controlled the match from the beginning, scoring twice in the first half and securing victory with a third goal in stoppage time.

Midfielder Naiz Hassan scored the first goal in the 28th minute, directing a perfectly delivered corner from Ibrahim Aisham to provide the Maldives with an early advantage. The lead was enhanced soon after, as forward Ibrahim Mahudhee scored in the 35th minute, placing the visitors well in command before the break.

In the closing moments of the game, substitute Ali Fasir, popularly referred to as Sentey, scored a third goal during stoppage time. The chance arose from promising young talent Mohamed Ilaan Imran, whose assist led to a precise finish to secure the 3–0 victory.

The win signifies a promising beginning to a new chapter under newly named head coach Mohamed “Mohan” Shiyaz. It also concludes a challenging stretch for the Maldives, who had suffered five straight losses before Saturday’s match. Their most recent victory was against Bangladesh, after which they faced losses to Timor-Leste in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, along with friendlies versus Bangladesh, India, and Singapore.

This vital victory revitalizes hope for fans in the Maldives and aims to generate momentum as the South Asian Super Cup advances.