Maziya Sports and Recreation booked their place in the 2020 AFC Cup group stages after an emphatic shoot-out win over Indian super league champions Bengaluru FC to become the second Maldivian team to confirm their spot in the group stages along side 2018 league champions TC Sports. 

This is the first time two Maldivian teams have made it into the group stages since the 2017 format change. AFC made sweeping changes to the 2017 Cup by introducing a zonal system  with teams being placed according to their regional sections with West, Central, South, ASEAN and eastern zones.

Maldivian clubs were draw in the South Asian group. During the first season of 2017 Maziya Sports made into the group stages as league champions while FA cup winners club Valencia played in the qualification stages. Valencia's preliminary stage win against Bhutan's Thimphu city was short lived as the Sun-risers were hammered 5-1 on aggregate in the play-offs by Mohun Bagan. In the group stages Maziya game a strong fight against Bengaluru but eventually bowed down after losing on head to head against Bengaluru. Both Maziya and Bengaluru were tied on 12 points. 

In 2018 New Radiant's sweeping dominance in the league secured them a spot in the group stages. While TC who took off with an impressive 4-1 win over Saif Sporting Club of Bangladesh came crashing down in the playoffs. TC were put to the sword by Bengaluru with a massive 8-2 aggregate win. In the group stage New Radiant went off with a stunning and came close to qualification to the knock out stages. However a surprising defeat meant Blues were out of the competiton. Bengaluru finished three points ahead of New Radiant. 

The 2019 campaign was an all time low for Maldivian clubs in AFC cup as non of the Maldivian Clubs had attained an AFC club license before the AFC deadline. Dhaka Abahani won the South Asian group and went on to play in the zonal semifinals. 

Despite a long painstaking league season with financial difficulties for all club including Maziya and TC two Maldivian clubs making it into the group stage for the first time since the format change is a thumping victory for Maldivian football and all local fans. 

Maziya and TC will now face Chennai City FC and Basandhura Kings of Bangladesh in the group stages and hopes for a Maldivian club to reach the inter-zonal playoffs is sky high.