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So VB’s second time on the trot in AFC Cup ends in tears. Depressingly no Maldivian club has gone beyond first round since a very accomplished New Radiant side in 2005 had an amazing run before being knocked out of semi-finals. Dhivehi teams are not just unable to give a decent fight in this competition; opponents are just making life horrible for teams. Do we have to wait for 17 years like our national team to see the repeat of the glory?

There is some genuine concern in the mind of some football experts that the standard of Dhivehi football is gradually on the decline. A very tangible truth in their argument is that we don’t have regular turnover of skilful and talented footballers, for that matter nobody of Ashfag’s caliber for too long a time. In fact, since he had stormed into our consciousness way back in 2003 there had been a barren of sort; nobody of his talent has come to replenish the veterans who are about to hang up their boot. Seriously. When Assad, Jameel Fazeel and Ali Umar call it a day in another couple of years who are going to replace these onetime gold medalists?

One time it was thought a very refined successor to Ashfag was in the offing when Aduham of Victory ran his way into the hearts of Dhivehi football lovers when his early promise and splendid skills won him over legions of fans. More than four years into his debut he is yet to establish as a serious contender to pyrotechnics of Ashfag. What has gone wrong? Why do we have an aging national team with most of the players about to hit their 30s’.

It is a fact our football is not improving as it should be. We have a very few ensemble cast of genuinely good footballers but not good enough to compete in competition outside SAARC region. You saw what had happened to Victory. It was not just a damning indictment of our football as a whole but also the pitiful standard of football in Maldives wherein Suzain had a hard time justifying every loss with words of defiance. His utterance that our footballers are semi-professionals is hard to disagree with. Influx of foreign players to clubs without proper developmental system for youngsters will not rehabilitate a football on a downward spiral.

That veteran Ali Umar, despite 12 years of football behind him, is still good enough to be included in the playing eleven for VB is how grimly true of lack of young talent in our nation. Not that he is any bad but to see him find a way through in the strong squad is pointer to harrowing lack competition for a place in the VB team itself.

Now should Suzain be responsible for Victory’s AFC Cup debacle? Was he at fault for all the 4-0, 5-0 results they could conjure up? After the departure of their reliable keeper Imran and promising defender Umair and striker Assad ( Adubarey) to rivals VB, Victory was in really bad shape with no proper replacements. A coach could do so much as to do with what he has and hope for the best. This is not to say Suazain is deposed of his responsibility but imagine can you ask him to do miracles with the team he was offered.

The truth is Dhivehi football at any given time is built on the base strength of some 6-8 players, the remaining first division players are just average players who are no better than those you will see on Maafannu practice ground. Whenever there is a mass departure of these very good players the depleted side can hardly built up from the scratch for the simple reason there are no good young players to replace the void.

Since 1990 to till today, that is two decades, we had only three notable players of the quality to embellish Galhulhu Stadium. 1992 saw the emergence of Anil to clench the title from the jaw of defeat to Victory Sports Club. In 1998 a very crafty Ali Umar stole limelight for Velancia till Ashfag in 2003 ran amok Galhulu Stadium. Since then we haven’t seen anybody of noteworthy except a yet-to-bloom Adhuham and Niyaz .

The point is we are badly lacking in significant infrastructures and mechanisms to churn out quality footballers. Whoever shows some glimmer of brilliance as soon disappear into the harsh world of mismanagement and grim-looking fortunes of Dhivehi football as you cannot subsist your life alone football. With the parochial nature of our football guardians and how our football is made to run to expect anything better is asking for moon.

With such a huge gap in the appearance of fresh faces, that too few too late, there is legitimate reason to believe that by the time when Fazeel, Imran and Mukthar and Ashfag ends their career that our football will lunge and splatter only to cease to exist as national passion that once had Maldives bathed in red colours after the triumph of 2008 SAFF Championship.