2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League Explained

Season:2020–21
Dates:13 December 2020 – 2 May 2021
Winners:Maziya
Relegated:no relegation
Competition:Dhivehi Premier League
Continentalcup1:AFC Cup
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Maziya
Valencia
Matches:56
Total Goals:140
League Topscorer: Cornelius Stewart
(11 goals)
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2022

The 2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League is the sixth season of the Premier League, the top Maldivian professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 2015. Maziya are the defending champions, having won their third league title the previous season, their second in the Premier League era, having last won in 2016. The season was initially scheduled to start in June,[1] but this was delayed until December as a consequence of the delay of the 2020 AFC Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and in the Maldives.[2]

Teams

Initially, ten teams were set to compete in the league – the top eight teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the Second Division. The promoted teams are Club Valencia and Super United Sports.[3] On 22 July 2020, Football Association of Maldives announced that this season will be held with eight teams. This is due to temporarily holding off the Premier League slots for the teams promoting from the Jazeera Championship as the 2020 edition was called off due to COVID-19 pandemic in the Maldives, meaning Foakaidhoo FC and Nilandhoo Sports Club are forced to play in the 2021 Jazeera Championship even though they survived relegation.[4]

Valencia is returning after a season's absence in the first division (three seasons in Premier League). This is the first season in the Premier League for Super United Sports. They replaced Victory Sports Club and New Radiant (both teams relegated after suspension due to financial reasons).[3]

Teams and their divisions

Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order.

TeamDivisionStadiumCapacity
EaglesMaafannuNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
Green StreetsMachchangolhiNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
ValenciaMachchangolhiNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
Da GrandeMaafannuNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
MaziyaWest MaafannuNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
Super UnitedMachchangolhiNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
TC Sports ClubHenveiruNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850
United VictoryGalolhuNational Football Stadium (Maldives)11,850

Personnel

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

TeamHead CoachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsor (chest)Shirt sponsor (back)Shirt sponsor (sleeve)Short
Club Eagles Mohamed Shiyaz Hussain SifaauJerzia
Green Streets Rilwan WaheedCaptain Maldives
Valencia Mohamed Athif Ali AshfaqJerzia
Da Grande Ismail Mahfooz Yasfaadh HabeebMalhi MV
Maziya Risto Vidaković Asadhulla AbdullaSE - Sports EmporiumOoredoo Maldives
TC Sports Mohamed Shazly Mohamed Azzam
Super United Ahmed Nashid Ahmed FarhanSE - Sports EmporiumFathaha Mall (main)
Heena Mobiles
SJ Group (top)
Maldives Wave (bottom)
Albion StoreLITUS
United Victory Ihsan Abdul Ghanee (interim) Mohamed ArifJerzia

Coaching changes

TeamOutgoing Head CoachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming Head CoachDate of appointment
Maziya Marjan Sekulovski[5] End of contract2 July 2020Pre-season Mohamed Nizam[6] 21 July 2020
Super United Ibrahim Shafiu20 February 2020 Ahmed Nashid[7] 13 September 2020
Valencia Ilmau Hussain Ibrahim20 February 2020 Mohamed Athif[8] 16 October 2020
Maziya Mohamed Nizam[9] Resigned27 December 20201st Ahmed Suzayr (interim)27 December 2020
Maziya Ahmed Suzayr (interim)Arrival of new coach3 January 20212nd Risto Vidaković[10] 3 January 2021
Club Eagles Mohamed ShiyazMutual consent16 January 20217thVaccentTBA
United Victory Mohamed AdamResigned16 January 20218th Ihsan Abdul Ghanee (interim)16 January 2021

Foreign players

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Asian PlayerFormer Players
Club Eagles Osama Elshihy Elsayed Mahmoud Mohammad Taha Ismaël Yanogo
Milan Jelovac
Osama Anbar
Green Streets Khalil Elbezawy Angel Carrasco Muñoz Mahmoud Sayed Saqib Hanif Elsayed Mahmoud
Valencia Jose Dominguez Toni Soler Vladislav Nuriev
Da Grande Otabek Khaydarov Abdurasal Komilov Akhror Umarjonov
Maziya Cornelius Stewart Petar Planić Nikola Vujanac
TC Sports Malcolm Stewart Elmaddin Mammadov Duckson Puslas
Super United Víctor Rodríguez Muñoz Mirzokhid Mamatkhonov Atsushi Yonezawa Eisuke Mohri
United Victory Kyrylo Silich Anatoliy Vlasichev Marat Ajiniyazov Ruslan Amirov

League table

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Season to start in December?. Mihaaru. 4 July 2020 . dv. 2020-07-11.
  2. Web site: New football season anticipated to start in December!. FAMaldives. en. 2020-07-11. 2020-11-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116234027/https://famaldives.com/2020/07/05/new-football-season-anticipated-to-start-in-december/. dead.
  3. https://raajje.mv/71361 Valencia makes a comeback to First Division
  4. Web site: Atoll teams slots to Premier League on hold. Mihaaru Sports. 22 July 2020 . dv. 2020-08-09.
  5. Web site: Maziya in talks with two local coaches to replace Sekulovski. Raajje.mv. en. 2020-07-11.
  6. Web site: Nizambe selected as Maziya's head coach. Raajje.mv. en. 2020-08-09.
  7. Web site: Naadhu appointed as SUS head coach. Fahuminet. dv. 2020-09-13.
  8. Web site: Valencia appoints Aathy and ready to start preseason tomorrow. Mihaaru. 16 October 2020 . dv. 2020-10-17.
  9. News: Shaany . Aishath . Maziya's head coach Nizam resigns . 6 January 2021 . Raajje . 28 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201228065136/https://raajje.mv/92776 . 28 December 2020.
  10. News: El ex del Betis Risto Vidakovic ficha por el Maziya de las Islas Maldivas . 5 January 2021 . Diario de Sevilla . 4 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210104141625/https://www.diariodesevilla.es/realbetis/Betis-Risto-Vidakovic-Maziya_0_1534946793.html . 4 January 2021 . es.