Mr. Gela Shekiladze has been appointed as the new assistant coach for the Maldives National Team. Born 14 September 1970, Shekiladze is a retired defender from Georgia. Between 1997 and 2002 he was capped 22 times for the national team of Georgia.

His club career began with eight seasons at Dinamo Batumi, where he was a first team regular. In the summer of 1998 he joined Belgian club K. Lierse S.K., and retired after spending the 2003/04 season in the Ukrainian league.

He started his coaching carrier in 2007 as the assistant coach of the Georgia National under 21 Football team. From 2008 till 2011 he served as the Head coach of different youth teams of Georgian National teams from under 15 to under 19s.

He was assistant coach of Afghanistan from 2015 to 2016, working with Petar Segrt.

Maldives National team started the practice in preparation for the SAFF Championship last night in Turf ground 1. Along with the New assistant coach, Ahmed Shakir (assistant coach) and Aslam Abdul Raheem (goal keeper coach) would be assisting Peter Segrt who is the Head coach. A foreign fitness trainer is going to be added to the National team soon.

Football community is already divided by the selection of the national squad which left out legendary forward Ali Ashfaq from the squad. Many are also questioning the appointment of a foreign assistant coach for the first time in the history of the National Football team. Time and results of SAFF champions will tell if all these changes bring about the positive impacts FAM hopes it does.