Maldives Crowned Champions of Inaugural South Asian Super Cup

A moment from the second leg between Sri Lanka and the Maldives

By Susil Premalal

The Maldives National Football Team emerged champions of the Inaugural South Asian Super Cup 2025, defeating Sri Lanka 4–1 on aggregate after two matches. With this victory, the Maldivian team secured the prestigious South Asian Super Cup and was scheduled to return home today.

The first leg, played at the Colombo Racecourse Grounds, ended with a dominant 3–0 victory for the Maldives. In the second leg, held yesterday, both sides fought fiercely, but the game concluded in a 1–1 draw. Accordingly, the Maldives, who scored a total of four goals across both legs, were officially named winners of the tournament.

Unlike the first match, the second leg displayed greater intensity, with Sri Lankan players battling hard until the final whistle in search of a win. Both teams attacked from the outset, but the first half ended goalless. The Maldives broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when Ibrahim Hussain headed the ball into the net to score the first goal.

Sri Lanka, showing determination, equalized dramatically in the 92nd minute when substitute forward Oliver Kellaart scored a spectacular goal, bringing the game to 1–1. Despite creating more chances, Sri Lanka were unfortunate to miss several goal-scoring opportunities, while the Maldives too failed to convert some promising attacks.

Adding significance to the match, veteran player Harsha Fernando, who had represented Sri Lanka continuously for 13 years, announced his retirement from international football after the game.

The Maldivian team with the Inaugural South Asian Super Cup trophy