Dhivehi Premier League
Season2020–21
Dates13 December 2020 – 2 May 2021
ChampionsMaziya
Relegatedno relegation
AFC CupMaziya
Valencia
Matches played56
Goals scored140 (2.5 per match)
Top goalscorerCornelius Stewart
(11 goals)
2022 →

The 2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League is the 6th 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

2020–21 Dhivehi Premier League is located in Maldives
Eagles, Da Grande, Green Streets, Maziya, SUS, TC, UV, Valencia
Eagles, Da Grande, Green Streets, Maziya, SUS, TC, UV, Valencia
Location football club of Dhivehi Premier League

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.
Team Division Stadium Capacity
Eagles Maafannu National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
Green Streets Machchangolhi National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
Valencia Machchangolhi National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
Da Grande Maafannu National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
Maziya West Maafannu National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
Super United Machchangolhi National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
TC Sports Club Henveiru National Football Stadium (Maldives) 11,850
United Victory Galolhu National 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.

Team Head Coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (chest) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve) Short
Club Eagles Maldives Mohamed Shiyaz Maldives Hussain Sifaau Jerzia
Green Streets Maldives Ali Nisthar Mohamed Maldives Rilwan Waheed Captain Maldives
Valencia Maldives Mohamed Athif Maldives Ali Ashfaq Jerzia
Da Grande Maldives Ismail Mahfooz Maldives Yasfaadh Habeeb Malhi MV
Maziya Serbia Risto Vidaković Maldives Asadhulla Abdulla SE - Sports Emporium Ooredoo Maldives
TC Sports Maldives Mohamed Shazly Maldives Mohamed Azzam
Super United Maldives Ahmed Nashid Maldives Ahmed Farhan SE - Sports Emporium Fathaha Mall (main)
Heena Mobiles		 SJ Group (top)
Maldives Wave (bottom)		 Albion Store LITUS
United Victory Maldives Ihsan Abdul Ghanee (interim) Maldives Mohamed Arif Jerzia

Coaching changes

Team Outgoing Head Coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming Head Coach Date of appointment
Maziya North Macedonia Marjan Sekulovski[5] End of contract 2 July 2020 Pre-season Maldives Mohamed Nizam[6] 21 July 2020
Super United Maldives Ibrahim Shafiu 20 February 2020 Maldives Ahmed Nashid[7] 13 September 2020
Valencia Maldives Ilmau Hussain Ibrahim 20 February 2020 Maldives Mohamed Athif[8] 16 October 2020
Maziya Maldives Mohamed Nizam[9] Resigned 27 December 2020 1st Maldives Ahmed Suzayr (interim) 27 December 2020
Maziya Maldives Ahmed Suzayr (interim) Arrival of new coach 3 January 2021 2nd Serbia Risto Vidaković[10] 3 January 2021
Club Eagles Maldives Mohamed Shiyaz Mutual consent 16 January 2021 7th Vaccent TBA
United Victory Maldives Mohamed Adam Resigned 16 January 2021 8th Maldives Ihsan Abdul Ghanee (interim) 16 January 2021

Foreign players

Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Asian Player Former Players 1
Club Eagles Egypt Osama Elshihy Egypt Elsayed Mahmoud Lebanon Mohammad Taha Burkina Faso Ismaël Yanogo
Montenegro Milan Jelovac
Yemen Osama Anbar
Green Streets Egypt Khalil Elbezawy Spain Angel Carrasco Muñoz Egypt Mahmoud Sayed Pakistan Saqib Hanif Egypt Elsayed Mahmoud
Valencia Spain Jose Dominguez Spain Toni Soler Uzbekistan Vladislav Nuriev
Da Grande Uzbekistan Otabek Khaydarov Uzbekistan Abdurasal Komilov Uzbekistan Akhror Umarjonov
Maziya Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cornelius Stewart Serbia Petar Planić Serbia Nikola Vujanac Japan Takashi Odawara
TC Sports Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Malcolm Stewart Azerbaijan Elmaddin Mammadov Sri Lanka Duckson Puslas
Super United Spain Víctor Rodríguez Muñoz Uzbekistan Mirzokhid Mamatkhonov Japan Atsushi Yonezawa Japan Eisuke Mohri
United Victory Ukraine Kyrylo Silich Kyrgyzstan Anatoliy Vlasichev Kyrgyzstan Marat Ajiniyazov Kyrgyzstan Ruslan Amirov
  • Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
  • ^1 Foreign players who left their clubs or were de-registered from playing squad due to medical issues or other matters.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Maziya (C) 14 10 4 0 34 6 +28 34 Qualification for 2022 AFC Cup group stage
2 Valencia 14 7 4 3 21 9 +12 25 Qualification for 2022 AFC Cup preliminary round 2
3 Green Streets 14 5 4 5 13 16 −3 19
4 Eagles 14 4 5 5 15 21 −6 17
5 Da Grande 14 4 4 6 17 25 −8 16
6 Super United 14 3 6 5 9 18 −9 15
7 TC Sports 14 3 4 7 11 19 −8 13
8 United Victory 14 3 3 8 20 26 −6 12
Source: Dhivehi Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored.
(C) Champions

References

  1. ↑ "Season to start in December?". Mihaaru (in Divehi). 4 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  2. ↑ "New football season anticipated to start in December!". FAMaldives. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  3. 1 2 Valencia makes a comeback to First Division Reejje.mv Published: Jan 15, 2020
  4. ↑ "Atoll teams slots to Premier League on hold". Mihaaru Sports (in Divehi). 22 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. ↑ "Maziya in talks with two local coaches to replace Sekulovski". Raajje.mv. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  6. ↑ "Nizambe selected as Maziya's head coach". Raajje.mv. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. ↑ "Naadhu appointed as SUS head coach". Fahuminet (in Divehi). Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  8. ↑ "Valencia appoints Aathy and ready to start preseason tomorrow". Mihaaru (in Divehi). 16 October 2020. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  9. ↑ Shaany, Aishath (28 December 2020). "Maziya's head coach Nizam resigns". Raajje. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  10. ↑ "El ex del Betis Risto Vidakovic ficha por el Maziya de las Islas Maldivas". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). 4 January 2021. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
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