HA. Dhidhdhoo delivered one of the biggest surprises of the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League season on Saturday evening, holding heavyweights New Radiant Sports Club to an exhilarating 2-2 draw on their home ground.
The match at the Dhidhdhoo Football Ground marked a milestone for the domestic top flight, representing the first time a Dhivehi Premier League fixture has been staged in the northern atoll of Thiladhunmathi. Hundreds of supporters from across Boduthiladhunmathi filled the perimeter to back the island side against the traditional powerhouse from the capital.
New Radiant, who had entered the contest on the back of consecutive victories over GDh. Gadhdhoo and reigning champions Maziya Sports and Recreation, appeared poised to assert their dominance early in the encounter. However, Dhidhdhoo's disciplined tactical shape and rapid counter-attacks frustrated the visitors throughout the first forty-five minutes.
Dhidhdhoo opened the scoring to send the home supporters into raptures, capitalizing on defensive hesitation from New Radiant. While New Radiant responded forcefully with two well-crafted goals to briefly turn the contest in their favor, the island side demonstrated remarkable resilience. In the closing stages, Dhidhdhoo mounted relentless pressure and found an equalizer to secure an unexpected and historic point.
Dhidhdhoo’s performance validated earlier assessments by national team head coach István Urbányi, who observed following the squad’s opening matches in Malé that the northern champions possessed the technical caliber and physical discipline to trouble established first-division clubs.
The result reshapes the early standings in the restructured ten-team league, which incorporates top regional clubs alongside traditional capital powerhouses. Having claimed four points from their opening three fixtures—including an earlier 1-0 triumph over Buru Sports Club—Dhidhdhoo have solidified their credentials as a competitive force in the top tier.
League action is scheduled to continue through the coming week with fixtures in both Malé and regional venues as clubs battle for playoff positioning. Detailed fixtures and standings are maintained by the Football Association of Maldives at fam.mv.
