Maziya: From a shadow club to a winner

Promoting to the first division is not the biggest hurdle but keeping the pace at the top flight is. Many promising clubs managed their way passed the lower divisions to enter into the top flight only to see them fade away like a speeding jet.

AYL took may be more than five years to reach the FA Cup semifinal and in the top four of Dhivehi League. BG came into the spotlight with a promising prospect but had only them to blame for their quick downfall. Maziya and Eagles on the other than must be the only clubs to have found a working formula to remain in the top and fight for the silverware.

One of the biggest problems with emerging clubs is their self belief. Promoting to the top division doesn’t mean the club is as big as New Radiant, Valencia or Victory in Dhivehi football. You have to mark your name in the game before fighting to claim the top prize. Once again, Maziya is the very best example the emerging clubs to copy.

It wasn’t until few years back they tried to sign big players and win something in the top division. In a time where local football was dominated by the riches of VB Sports and the big brand of New Radiant Sports Club, Maziya waited in the shadows for their moment. Their main aim was to keep the club in the top division before coming out to face the big boys. They have succeeded so well, now that they are the team to beat in the next season. Regular participation in the AFC Cup is a major feature to interest good foreign players and they are now benefiting from that.

BG came to the top division with such a promise by signing some top players in their first season at the top division. However their biggest problem could be the huge spending in the maiden season which ultimately lost their interest after failing to win a single trophy. Also another blow to their season was the quick and fierce rivalry they created between New Radiant, a giant in Maldives football too big to be going against so early in the top flight.

The early signs from TC Sports, the newly promoted club to the top division, looks promising. If a percentage of the rumors about their financial capacity are true, they would easily sign any top player but seems like they took the protective measure first by assembling a team fighting for a top four rather than fighting to dismantle New Radiant or Maziya.

Maziya is the ultimate winner in keeping their side and strengthening season by season. Now that there is no local side they are afraid of and they have now assembled their strongest squad ever. In a time where footballing giants like Valencia and Victory are failing to keep their feet in the ever changing game of football, Maziya prospered. On the paper, they are the favourites for the upcoming season. It is going to be exciting to see how they battle against their worthy opponent New Radiant. Forget about the past rivalries between New Radiant and Victory or New Radiant and Valencia. The modern era has a new and exciting rivalry, the blues from Henveiru and the green boys from Maafannu.