President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has congratulated Maldives national football team for winning SAFF Suzuki Cup 2018. Maldives beat defending champions and the most successful team in the tournament, India 2-1 to win the tournament at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
In a phone call with the captain of the Maldives national football team, Akram Abdul Ghanee, the president congratulated the team and highlighted the win was very important for the people of Maldives. He thanked the team for the happiness brought to the people of Maldives by winning the biggest football competition in the South Asia region.
This is the second time Maldives won the tournament, becoming the second most successful team in the completion, after India. Maldives won the tournament for the first time in 2008, beating India 1-0 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Maldives have played in the final of the tournament five times, the second highest after India.