The current national squad boasts of talented young players capable of leading the Maldives National Football Team into the future, declared skipper Ali “Dhagandey” Ashfaq. Regarding the national squad finalised by Coach Ricki Herbert for the SAFF Suzuki Cup, which includes several young players, Dhagandey told Haveeru on Tuesday that the young players are capable of taking up the mantles of their seniors after their retirement, and urged them to keep going forward without looking back. The names he highlighted were Naaiz “Dhaadh” Hassan, Hamza “Hampu” Mohamed, Ansar “Anko” Ibrahim, Ahmed “Aakko” Imaz, Amdhan “Andy” Ali and Samooh “Samuttey” Ali. “[The coach] has selected a great squad. We have several skilled players who can replace our regulars. They’re the ones who will maintain the national team in the future; they are that talented,” said Dhagandey, who had earlier announced that this year’s SAFF Cup will be his last. The captain added that he and veteran goalkeeper Imran Mohamed had sat down with the newcomers to advice and encourage them. “Imma and I spoke with the players. We told them that they’re the future of the national team, and advised them to maintain good discipline and keep up their efforts.” Coach Herbert, who took the reins of the national team this year, had provided several opportunities for the younger players during official matches, which they had put to good use and showed off promising performances. Speaking at the press conference held at Hotel Vivanta by Taj in Thiruvananthapuram, the coach acknowledged the young players he had picked. He declared that this year’s SAFF Cup is the tournament that will commence the establishment of a stronger team for the Maldives. The coach reiterated that all the opponent teams are tough competition, but asserted that the Maldives team will work towards a victory that will bring pride to their nation.