Dhivehi Premier League

Last updated

Dhivehi Premier League
Founded22 December 2014;10 years ago (2014-12-22)
CountryMaldives
Confederation AFC
Number of clubs10
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to Second Division
Domestic cup(s) FA Cup
President's Cup
Charity Shield
International cup(s) AFC Challenge League
Current champions Maziya (5th title)
(2023)
Most championships Maziya (5 titles)
Broadcaster(s) Television Maldives
Current: 2025–26 Dhivehi Premier League

The Dhivehi Premier League, known as the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a Maldivian men's professional football league. At the top of the Maldives football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 10 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Second Division Football Tournament.

Contents

The Dhivehi Premier League succeeded the Dhivehi League. Currently all ten teams are based at the National Football Stadium.

History

SeasonChampionsRunners-upTopscorers
2015 New Radiant TC Sports Club Flag of Maldives.svg Assadhulla Abdulla (9 goals)
2016 Maziya TC Sports Club Flag of Maldives.svg Ali Fasir (29 goals)
2017 New Radiant TC Sports Club Flag of Maldives.svg Ali Ashfaq (13 goals)
2018 TC Sports Club Maziya Flag of Maldives.svg Ahmed Rizuvan (31 goals)
2019–20 Maziya Eagles Flag of Maldives.svg Ahmed Rizuvan (28 goals)
2020–21 Maziya Valencia Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Cornelius Stewart (10 goals)
2022 Maziya Eagles Flag of Spain.svg Tana (18 goals)
2023 Maziya Eagles Flag of Maldives.svg Ahmed Rizuvan (23 goals)

Competition format

The Premier League began with 8 teams, with a format in which each club plays the others thrice (a double round-robin system), for a total of 21 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match decides rank.

In 2025, the league format changed, now the club plays the others twice for a total of 18 games. Teams are ranked by total points, goal difference, and goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or relegation, a play-off match decides the rank. The bottom two teams of the league gets relegated to the Regional Leagues, (the current Second Division), while the teams who finish 7th and 8th respectively they will go to the Promotion/Relegation playoff with the winners of the 4 Regional League, with the top 6 avoiding relegation all together.

Qualification for Asian competitions

Two teams qualify for the AFC Cup. The winner directly qualifies to the group stage. While the second spot is a play-off. It is given to the winner of the FA Cup. If the winner of the league wins the FA Cup the second spot goes to the second placed team in the league. The team must win play-off to get to the group stage.

Since the inauguration of the AFC Challenge League in 2024, only one team, the winner qualify for the AFC Challenge League play-offs. The team must win play-offs to get to the group stage.

Sponsorship

PeriodSponsorBrand
2015–2018 Ooredoo Maldives Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League
2019–21 Dhiraagu Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League
2022 Ooredoo Maldives Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League
2023 MWSC MWSC Dhivehi Premier League
2025– Dhiraagu Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League

Finances

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) provides each Premier League team with an amount of MVR 1.6 million. The Champion team also receives a MVR 1 million cash prize.[ citation needed ] [1]

Current clubs

Note: Table lists clubs in alphabetical order.
TeamDivisionStadiumCapacity
Buru Sports Club Machchangolhi National Football Stadium 5,000
Club Eagles Maafannu
Club Green Streets Machchangolhi
Club Valencia Machchangolhi
Maziya West Maafannu
New Radiant Henveiru
Odi Sports Club Galolhu
TC Sports Club Henveiru
United Victory Galolhu
Victory Sports Club Galolhu

All-time table

The all-time Dhivehi Premier League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Premier League since its inception in 2015. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2022 season. [2] Teams in bold are part of the 2025/26 Premier League.


Pos.ClubSeasonsPldWinDrawLossGFGAGDPts1st2nd3rd4thRelegatedBest
Pos.
1 Maziya 812186201534895+25327841111st
2 TC Sports Club 8121672331237133+1042241311st
3 Club Eagles 7107602819218110+1082081312nd
4 New Radiant 46537121613269+63123211 [a] 1st
5 Green Streets 686351536139149−10120113rd
6 Victory 46712104556153−9743 [b] 15th
7 Valencia 57027123198104−69312nd
8 United Victory 57219203390131−417714th
9 Foakaidhoo 23788213684−48326th
10 BG Sports Club 235612173356−233017th
11 Da Grande 35612123266107−414815th
12 Super United Sports 33579193166−35306th
13 Nilandhoo SC 232832144114−70276th
14 G. Dh. Thinadhoo 1145362318+51814th
15 Sh. Milandhoo 1143561826−8146th
16 A. A. Maalhos 1142391840−2297th
17 B. Fehendhoo 19117230−28419th
18 Dh. Kudahuvadhoo 1140311640−3438th
19 Mahibadhoo 11402121247−35218th
20 Th. Thimarafushi 19018237−351110th
21 Buru Sports Club 1---------
22 Odi Sports Club 1---------
Notes
  1. New Radiant were suspended from all football related activities before 2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League started, due to unpaid wages to the players and failing to pay fines to FIFA and FAM, resulting in relegation [3]
  2. Victory was docked 3 points for failing to pay over players' wages during 2018 Dhivehi Premier League [4]

Continental Head to head

Head-to-head records against clubs form 26 nations whom they have played to date only in AFC Competitions.

AgainstRegionPWDLGFGAGD%Win
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh SAFF2272132653−27031.82
Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan SAFF431071+6075.00
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China EAFF4013121−20000.00
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong EAFF3294193262−30028.13
Flag of India.svg  India WAFF46943349111−62019.57
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia AFF2063113332+1030.00
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran CAFA2002017−17000.00
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan EAFF7016047−47000.00
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan WAFF412135−2025.00
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait WAFF6006527−22000.00
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan WAFF100103−3000.00
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos AFF211032+1050.00
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon WAFF200236−3000.00
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia AFF2769122647−21022.22
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar AFF8224914−5025.00
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal SAFF522169−3040.00
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan SAFF63121215−3050.00
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines AFF311111+0033.33
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia WAFF200238−5000.00
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore AFF2852212268−46017.86
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea EAFF10019150−49000.00
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka SAFF115241120−9045.45
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand AFF9009532−27000.00
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan CAFA100112−1000.00
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam AFF1611141345−32006.25
Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen WAFF100134−1000.00
Total26 nations2796140178275702−427021.86


References

  1. "FAM introduces season tickets". Maldivesoccer. April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  2. "Dhivehi Premier League 2021/2022 Standings - Football/Maldives". www.flashscore.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  3. "Valencia makes a comeback to First Division". Raajje Mv. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  4. "މުސާރަ މައްސަލައެއްގައި ފީފާއިން ވިކްޓަރީގެ ޕޮއިންޓް އުނިކޮށްފި" (in Divehi). FIGC. 21 February 2019. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.