DNC,
the Football Phenomenon of the 70s.
DNC
(Delightful Neighbors Club) was the football team from Feydhoo that
took Maldives by storm in the seventies. They introduced the modern
passing game to Male when they started to take part in the National
Football Tournaments and it was then the DNC mania hit the country.
They
became famous not because of their victories which were only twice
joint-champions in 1970 and 1972, but for their playing style and
the outstanding players they had in their squad like Saeed, Labeeb
and Mufeed commonly known as Udhuhey Mufeed (Flying Mufeed). With
the latest football kits and other luxuries which the other teams
even were not able to dream of, they were like Real Madrid of Maldives.
Mufeed
became an instant sensation. Even many children in the country
were named after him. (Not kidding). He was the first flair player
and the first Soccer Star of Maldives. In fact, he was the most
famous football player ever in the history of Maldivian football,
one who attracted people to football pitches. Unlike some of the
other players of DNC he never played for a big team in Male. He
just disappeared from the scene at the height of his fame.
DNC
had many fans throughout the country including Male, but as prejudice
die hard, on the field they had to face unfair decisions from the
biased officials from Male. The result was they were forced to exit
before the final or when they win it they had to share the cup with
someone else.
The
biased historians make no attempt to give them their rightful place
in history. There are writers who deliberately want to rewrite the
history by giving credit to someone else for introducing the modern
passing game to the country denying the fact that it was this phenomenon
called DNC who taught everybody how the beautiful game should be
played.
Related Articles:
DNC's First Ever Match, 1969.
Football Tournament held in Hithadhoo,
1970.
DNC
Song (Dhivehi).
Trophies
of the Victorious DNC of 1972.
Mufeed flies for Male, 1974.
Football Tournament Opens, 1974.
Phototoes:
DNC.
The
Soccer Golden Boys of Addu.
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