President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih says even though the Maldives did not reach the finals of the SAFF Championship 2021, the national team deserves high praise.
The hosts of the tournament Maldives, crashed out of the championship last night after losing to India 1-3 in the final league stage match.
The Maldives who had won twice and lost once in the tournament needed a point from last night's clash while India went into the match knowing that only a win would take to the final against Nepal.
India led in the 33rd minute before the Maldives drew level from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime. India proved too strong for the home team in the second half with the veteran captain Sunil Chhetri scoring twice to secure the win for the Indians.
In a tweet, President Solih, who attended the match last night, said that he was very proud of the performance displayed by the team at the SAFF Championships.
He went on to say that even though the Maldives did not get to the finals, the team deserves high praise for the courage they displayed both on and off-field.
President Solih said that he was that the team will continue to excel in the future.
Many on social media have been expressing their support for the national team despite the disappointing loss.
