January 11, 2003 20:28 IST
A brilliant hat-trick by Ali Shiham helped Maldives trounce newcomers Bhutan 6-0 in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) soccer championship in Dhaka on Saturday.
Hosts Bangladesh defeated Nepal 1-0 in the second match of the day.
Maldives had things their way in the first-half, scoring four times. Bhutan, playing their first international match after getting FIFA membership in 2000, were helpless against the Maldives attacks, led by striker Ali Umar.
Mohammed Nizam started the onslaught in the second minute with a goal off an angular shot that came his way from a counter attack.
Ashraf Luthfy doubled the margin in the 11th minute on a throw-in from Shah Ismail.
Shiham then scored his first goal with a 24th-minute header, followed a minute later by his second goal, when he netted a pass from Umar.
He scored again in the 63rd minute following a right-flank cross from Shah Ismail.
Umar netted the sixth goal in the 77th minute with a solo effort from a long throw from Nizam.
Bhutan, under the supervision of Dutch coach Arie Schans, tried hard and got a chance in the 15th minute of the second-half but the Maldives' goalkeeper foiled an attempt by Sonam Jamtsho.
In the second match, striker Alfaz Ahmed scored the only goal for Bangladesh in the 31st minute of the first-half.
Nepal created several chances, but its strikers failed to score.
