DNC, the Football Phenomenon of the 70s

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.

What they say about DNC.

Victory raced to the national football finals challenging the British RAF coached and trained DNC from the island of Feydhoo in Addu Atoll. DNC was playing in full kit and gear while Victory Sports Club wore homemade jerseys and shorts, and some players performed without shoes. The matches between DNC and Victory were legendary with half of Male’ supporting the Feydhoo island team from Addu Atoll and the other half supporting Victory, the Male’ team.

The Maldives went mad over football. Competition was intense. In 1972, the Queen Elizabeth II Football Cup was shared by Victory and DNC.

The RAF sponsored professionalism of DNC challenged Victory to meet very high international standards at a time when Male’ with about 20,000 inhabitants was an idyllic community living in total isolation from the rest of the world, in a very green island crowned by mango trees.

The entire community went to see the football matches and the meeting of DNC and Victory was an event that no one missed.

Excerpted from www.victory.mv

The website says DNC was vanquished and vanished. “Vanquished” was not a suitable word for DNC because it is a known fact that the reasons behind the vanishing of DNC were not because they were vanquished on the pitch but rather economical reasons. They must have lost battles but they didn't lose the total war and everybody missed them. No team has ever created so mcuh sensation.

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ޑީ އެން ސީގެ ފުރަތަމަ މެޗު 1969.
ހިތަދޫގައި ބޭއްވުނު 20 ވަނަ ފުޓްބޯޅަ މުބާރާތް 1970.
ޑީ އެން ސީގެ ލަވަ - އަގުމާތް ވެދުން ކުރީމޭ ތަރުޙީބަކުން ތަހާނީ .
މުފީދު އދުހިފައި މާލެއަށް 1974.
ފުޓްބޯޅަ މުބާރާތް ހުޅުވުން 1973.

Trophies of the Victorious DNC of 1972.

Phototoes:

DNC.
The Soccer Golden Boys of Addu.