Dhivehi Premier League

Dhivehi Premier League
Founded22 December 2014; 9 years ago (2014-12-22)
CountryMaldives
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toSecond Division
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
President's Cup
Charity Shield
International cup(s)AFC Challenge League
Current championsMaziya (5th title)
(2023)
Most championshipsMaziya (5 titles)
TV partnersTelevision Maldives (live matches)
Current: 2024 Dhivehi Premier League

The Dhivehi Premier League, known as the MWSC 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 8 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Second Division Football Tournament.

Teams are playing 21 match each, totalling 168 matches in the season. The Dhivehi Premier League succeeded the Dhivehi League. Currently all eight teams are based at the National Football Stadium.

History

See also: Dhivehi League
Season Champions Runners-up Topscorers
2015 New Radiant TC Sports Club Maldives Assadhulla Abdulla (9 goals)
2016 Maziya TC Sports Club Maldives Ali Fasir (29 goals)
2017 New Radiant TC Sports Club Maldives Ali Ashfaq (13 goals)
2018 TC Sports Club Maziya Maldives Ahmed Rizuvan (31 goals)
2019–20 Maziya Eagles Maldives Ahmed Rizuvan (28 goals)
2020–21 Maziya Valencia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Cornelius Stewart (10 goals)
2022 Maziya Eagles Spain Tana (18 goals)
2023 Maziya Eagles Maldives Ahmed Rizuvan (23 goals)

Competition format

Competition

There are 8 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season 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.

Qualification for Asian competitions

Only one team, the league winners, qualify for the AFC Challenge League playoffs. The team must win play-off to get to the group stage.

Sponsorship

Period Sponsor Brand
2015–2018 Ooredoo Maldives Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League
2019-20–2020-21 Dhiraagu Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League
2022 Ooredoo Maldives Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League
2023- MWSC MWSC 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 Dhivehi Premier League teams

Team Division
Buru Sports Club Machchangolhi
Club Eagles Maafannu
Club Green Streets Machchangolhi
Club Valencia Machchangolhi
Maziya S&RC West Maafannu
Super United Sports Machchangolhi
TC Sports Club Henveiru
United Victory Galolhu

All-time Dhivehi Premier League 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 2023 Premier League.

Pos. Club Seasons Pld Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Pts 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Relegated Best
Pos.
1 Maziya 8 121 86 20 15 348 95 +253 278 4 1 1 1 1st
2 TC Sports Club 8 121 67 23 31 237 133 +104 224 1 3 1 1st
3 Club Eagles 7 107 60 28 19 218 110 +108 208 1 3 1 2nd
4 New Radiant 4 65 37 12 16 132 69 +63 123 2 1 1[a] 1st
5 Green Streets 6 86 35 15 36 139 149 −10 120 1 1 3rd
6 Victory 4 67 12 10 45 56 153 −97 43[b] 1 5th
7 Valencia 5 70 27 12 31 98 104 −6 93 1 2nd
8 United Victory 5 72 19 20 33 90 131 −41 77 1 4th
9 Foakaidhoo 2 37 8 8 21 36 84 −48 32 6th
10 BG Sports Club 2 35 6 12 17 33 56 −23 30 1 7th
11 Da Grande 3 56 12 12 32 66 107 −41 48 1 5th
12 Super United Sports 3 35 7 9 19 31 66 −35 30 6th
13 Nilandhoo SC 2 32 8 3 21 44 114 −70 27 6th
14 G. Dh. Thinadhoo 1 14 5 3 6 23 18 +5 18 1 4th
15 Sh. Milandhoo 1 14 3 5 6 18 26 −8 14 6th
16 A. A. Maalhos 1 14 2 3 9 18 40 −22 9 7th
17 B. Fehendhoo 1 9 1 1 7 2 30 −28 4 1 9th
18 Dh. Kudahuvadhoo 1 14 0 3 11 6 40 −34 3 8th
19 Mahibadhoo 1 14 0 2 12 12 47 −35 2 1 8th
20 Th. Thimarafushi 1 9 0 1 8 2 37 −35 1 1 10th
21 Buru 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 to relegation[3]
  2. ^ Victory was docked 3 points for failing to pay over players' wages during 2018 Dhivehi Premier League[4]


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.