President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has declared September 18, as a public holiday, in celebration of the victory of the Maldives National Football Team in the SAFF Suzuki Cup. 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.
During a telephone conversation with the team captain, President Abdulla Yameen lauded the team’s performance during the final match and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Maldivian people for making the whole nation proud.
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.