Tajikistan 0-0 Maldives

Male: Tajikistan and the Maldives played out a goalless draw at the National Stadium in the Maldivian capital on Wednesday as the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers brought the curtain down on their successful Group C campaigns. 

Both teams had already guaranteed their place next year’s final by defeating Cambodia and Kyrgyzstan, with the Indian Ocean islanders winning 4-0 and 2-1 respectively and the Tajiks recording 3-0 and 1-0 victories over the same opposition.

With nothing to separate the two sides in Friday’s final fixture,  top spot in Group C was determined by goal difference and it was the Maldives who boasted the better ratio, claiming first place in the standings with a plus five GD compared to the plus four registered by the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup champion

On Friday in his 90th radio address, the President Mohamed Nasheed has paid tribute to the Maldivian national football team for winning the first two games of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers played in Malé last week to qualify to the AFC Challenge Cup to be held next year.

Hailing the national team´s first ever qualification to the AFC Challenge Cup as pride and glory for the country, he congratulated the national team.

He also commended the support of all Maldivians to the team, and work of Football Association of Maldives.