Football / Malaysia Cup: Six teams make q-finals

T-Team’s Zairo Anuar Zalani (left) is challenged by Kuala Lumpur’s Norismaidham Ismail in their match yesterday. — Picture by Aswadi Alias

SIX teams have qualified for the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals after yesterday's proceedings leaving four sides to battle for two remaining spots in the last round of the group stage on Tuesday.Perak topped Group A courtesy of goals from Shafiq Jamal and Failee Ghazali in their 2-1 win over 10-man Johor while Kedah scrapped past Sabah 1-0 through Khyril Muhymeen's 44th minute strike yesterday. Sabah and Kedah will battle for the other spot.

Former champions Negri Sembilan and FA Cup winners Terengganu qualified from Group B after they won their respective matches.

Negri defeated Sime Darby FC 2-1 at the Selayang Stadium while national player Ismail Faruqi scored the winner in Terengganu's 1-0 win over Premier League champions PKNS at the MBPJ Stadium.
In Group C, Kelantan and Felda United were not impressive yesterday but it was enough for them to qualify for the last eight.

Kelantan were held 1-1 by Johor FC with both goals coming in the opening minutes of the match in Pasir Gudang.

Johor FC scored first through Mohd Akmal Noor with a well-executed lob in the second minute before Azamuddin Akil's effort levelled proceedings after eight minutes.

Sarawak upset Felda United 1-0 through a wonderful goal from Bobby Gonzales in the 15th minute but the result had no bearing as the club side moved into the quarter-finals.

T-Team earned their spot with a tough 1-1 draw with Kuala Lumpur in a Group D match.

Indra Putra Mahayuddin gave T-Team the lead with a spectacular strike in the 27th minute but KL substitute Hazwan Bakri levelled proceedings in the 46th minute.

Selangor coach P. Maniam turned on his magic in his first match in charge by guiding his team to an impressive 4-1 victory over Police in Paroi.

Selangor scorers were captain Amri Yahyah (31st), Safiq Rahim (45th), Amirulhadi Zainal (71st) and Rudie Ramli (90th).

Police replied through Fauzi Abd Majid in the 62nd minute.

Selangor and KL will battle for the one remaining spot in Shah Alam on Tuesday.


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Football / Malaysia Cup: Maniam's bright start

A Selangor player (right) and a Police player tussle for the ball in their match in Paroi on Saturday.

P. MANIAM got off to a winning start as Selangor head coach when his side thrashed Police 4-1 in a Malaysia Cup Group D match in Paroi on Saturday.The 43-year-old made tactical changes and also moved some players to unfamiliar positions which paid off as Selangor earned a timely win ahead of their crucial match against Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

Saturday's win was Selangor's second biggest victory this season, courtesy of goals from captain Amri Yahyah, Safiq Rahim, Amirulhadi Zainal and Rudie Ramli.

Selangor's new-found confidence is bad news for KL as victory tomorrow for the 32-time Malaysia Cup winners will see them take second spot behind T-Team in the group and a place in the quarter-finals.
"We won this match but it does not make us champions. I am happy to get a winning start ... it is good for the entire team as the players needed something special to boost their confidence," said Maniam yesterday.

"I experimented a lot in training and the changes paid off yesterday (Saturday). We played an attacking game to get the goals.

"However, we still have a lot to improve on. I am here to give my best and I hope the team will move forward."

Nazri Ahmad earned his first start for Selangor by filling in for injured centreback Nasriq Baharom and was part of a five-man midfield led by Safiq and Azidan Sarudin with Fadzli Saari playing along the flanks for the first time.

Maniam, who was appointed Selangor coach following K. Devan's resignation last week, however, played Amri as the sole striker.

On tomorrow's derby, Maniam said the impressive win over Police put his team in good shape for the home clash.

"We cannot sit back as we must win. KL will be tough as they are on a good run but it does not make them favourites. It is a do-or-die mission for us as anything less than a win will see us out of the quarter-finals," said the coach.

Maniam also hopes the fans will throw their support behind the team tomorrow.

"My players are eager to beat KL but to help them do that, the fans must also turn up and lend their support." he added.

Fadzli, who impressed against Police, may not play as he has picked up an injury but Nasriq and midfielder Hardi Jaafar could make the starting XI if they pass late fitness tests.


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Football / Malaysia Cup: Sabah warned against complacency

SABAH have stunned even themselves by topping Group A with Perak after two matches with a 2-1 win over four-time champions Kedah at home on Saturday but coach Justin Ganai warned that it is "still long way to go" for a place in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals.
"And there are still flaws in the team despite the win over Kedah and the scoreless draw with Perak in the first two matches," said Justin.

But Sabah are strongly placed to stretch their unbeaten run to three matches when they take on winless Johor at the Likas Stadium tonight.

Johor go into the fray after losing to Kedah 2-0 and Perak (2-1) in their first two matches and desperately need a win to get back on track.
With Sabah's morale sky high after the win over early group favourites Kedah, Johor have a mountain to climb in Kota Kinabalu. However, an intriguing clash is expected at Likas as the first round matches come to a close today.

Justin is also aware that Johor, with their backs against the wall, could spoil Sabah's party at home as his team have to play all their second round matches away.

"It is good to be in this position ...in fact I did not expect Sabah to be sitting on top at this stage. There are many flaws to be sorted out. Against Kedah, we lost our discipline after taking a 2-0 lead.

"We have to sort this out if we want to advance. The morale of the players is sky high after going unbeaten so far. But we have to improve our overall performance. Johor may have lost both their matches but we could feel the backlash from them."

Sabah have never won the Malaysia Cup although they fell at the final hurdle in 1996, 2002 and 2003.

Johor coach Azmi Mohamad knows that even a draw could end hopes of advancing to the second round after the 2-1 defeat to Perak.

"We have got no choice. Johor are in a desperate situation and our battle for survival starts against Sabah and we will go in fighting to stay afloat."


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Football / Malaysia Cup: Perak's challenge in disarray

THE love affair between former international Fadzli Saari and the Selangor fans is fast coming to an end.
The 500-odd paying fans vented their anger at Selangor's weak performance by hurling abuse at Fadzli despite the team's 2-0 victory over Police in a Malaysia Cup Group D match at Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday.

"Baik tak payah main," (Better still don't play) was among the abuse fans hurled at the 27-year-old midfielder-cum-striker at half time. Some of it were unprintable.

However, the abuse only inspired Fadzli and he scored a brace in the second half to earn Selangor their first victory in the competition.
Selangor coach K. Devan was upset with the attitude of some of the fans.

"Our fans need to be patient. We are trying our best and this victory is a good start. We need our fans at the stadiums as their support will motivate the players," said Devan at Shah Alam Stadium.

"Fadzli scored both Selangor goals despite a facial injury. He is at least trying to play good football. I believe he will return to his best soon."

On whether Saturday's win was a sign of Selangor's Malaysia Cup resurrection, Devan said his team are not at their near best yet.

"We cannot predict much after just one victory. My players, no doubt, are showing more commitment but they are still far from their best. We need more wins to get back on track.

"We scored only two goals from 16 chances today (Saturday). Like I said before, we do not have strikers but those that I have are doing their best," he said.

Devan, however, admitted he has not found his team's winning line-up.

"The source of our problem is the strike force. I've been trying out defenders and midfielders in attack after Safee (Sali) left. It is tough but my players are beginning to show their mettle," he added.

Selangor continue their Malaysia Cup campaign against high-riding Kuala Lumpur at Selayang Stadium tomorrow.


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Give it your best, Safee

SAFEE Sali has been urged to make full use of the opportunity presented by Cardiff City to become the first Malaysian to break into the English leagues.
Former Malaysian great Datuk Soh Chin Aun and Ho Hon Seong, one of the few Malaysians in the late 1970s and early 1980s to venture abroad, said this rare chance for Safee is a sign of the rising standard of Malaysian players.

"This is a good chance for Safee. It shows that Malaysian football is improving. Although it is only a trial, it is not often a Malaysian player receives this kind of an opportunity.

"This is also a good chance for him on a personal level to show what he can do.
"I hope he puts on a good presentation to show them that Malaysians can also play good football," said Chin Aun, after a press conference to announce the staging of the 1st Malaysia Day Ex-Internationals/States Soccer 9s in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Safee leaves for Cardiff on Monday for a two-week trial with the English Championship side where he will train with the Welsh club's first team in a bid to land a playing contract or a loan move from his current club Pelita Jaya.

There have been a few Malaysians who have blazed the professional trail abroad, including the likes of Wong Choon Wah, Chow Chee Keong, Chan Kok Leong, Yip Chee Kong and Hon Seong, who all played in the Hong Kong professional league 30 years ago.

But the first Malaysian to play in Europe was Lim Teong Kim in 1987 when he joined Hertha Berlin, then in the West German third-tier.

He also had an unsuccessful trial with Austrian club AK Graz in 1990.

Hon Seong, a former striker with Selangor and Kuala Lumpur and occasional left-back, said if Safee is successful, it will be a big challenge for him to adjust to the higher standard of football in England, let alone the environment.

"Up until now, Malaysian players have been afraid of making the move abroad because they are worried over how they will adapt. I think Safee is very brave to be going there but it is a good move for him.

"Even during my time, we only went as far as Hong Kong because nobody from Europe cared to look at us.

"Whether Safee lands a contract or not is beside the point. The most important thing is he makes good use of this opportunity," said Hon Seong, who had an aborted stint with Hong Kong's South China club in 1981 before returning home after four games due to a contractual dispute.

Besides Safee, Selangor's Safiq Rahim also has a pending trial with Cardiff which he will undergo after the Malaysia Cup.

Meanwhile, a veritable who's who of Malaysian football of the past will be featured in the Ex-Internationals/States Soccer 9s organised by the Ex-State and Ex-International Footballers Association of Malaysia at the Victoria Institution ground on Sept 16-17.

Organising committee chairman Bahwandi Hiralal said eight local teams and four teams from Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and Western Australia will be competing in the two-day event held to bring together former footballers from Malaysia and the region whilst also raising funds for the association.

Among the former national players who have been signed up were Subadron Aziz (KL), Jelani Wilastra (Penang), Hassan Sani (Sabah), Salehan Mohamed Som, Nasir Yusof (Johor), Husin Jaafar (Kedah), Azizol Abu Haniffa (Perak), Jalil Ramli (Sarawak) and Chin Aun (Malacca).

Malek Awab, Tay Peng Kee and Abdullah Noor are some of the former stars in the Singapore team.


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Malaysia take slim lead

MALAYSIA inched closer to creating World Cup history in the Asian Zone Qualifiers by edging Taiwan 2-1 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

The national team have never qualified for the second round since making their first appearance in the qualifiers in 1973.

They, however, need to get past Taiwan in the return leg on Sunday to qualify for the second stage, where Singapore await them.

But national coach K. Rajagobal was unhappy with his players' performance, as they played well only in patches.

"We failed to maintain our tempo after taking a 2-0 lead. Our defence allowed Taiwan to hit back with a soft goal. It is going to be tough in the return leg as Taiwan will definitely be more offensive," he said.

Rajagobal also confirmed that Safee Sali will not play in the return leg.

"He (Safee) suffered a hard knock in the first half. I don't think he can recover in time. We face a difficult situation as I will need to reshuffle my strikeforce with Norshahrul (Idlan Talaha) still recovering from injury."

Taiwan coach Lo Chih Tsung warned that his team will be very offensive in the return leg.

"We came here to get an away goal. We have accomplished our mission. Taiwan will play attacking football in the return leg," said Chih Tsung.

Captain Safiq Rahim was Malaysia's hero by scoring a goal and creating another in Bukit Jalil.

The midfielder's powerful strike in the 28th minute was followed up with his near perfect corner kick for Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak to score the second in the 54th minute.

Malaysia, who paraded eight players from the AFF Cup winning team, started in furious pace in front of about 45,000 local fans in the stadium.

In the second minute, Malaysia were denied a penalty when Baddrol Bakhtiar, upon a receiving a pass from Safee Sali, was brought down in the Taiwanese box but Thailand referee Mahapab Chaiya waved play on.

The homesters continued to press forward with left flanker S. Kunalan, Baddrol and Safiq, all having decent chances in the opening 20 minutes.

Taiwan held their ground with their well planned game. In the 12th minute, a curling free kick from midfielder Lo Chih An found striker Chang Han, whose close range shot was saved by Malaysia goalkeeper Sharbinee Allawee.

But Malaysia's fortunes changed a minute after Rajagobal made a tactical change by bringing on striker Abdul Hadi Yahya for rightback Helmi Remeli.

Midfielder Amirulhadi Zainal moved into the right back position while Baddrol and Kunalan switched roles in midfield.

Abdul Hadi immediately turned on the heat with a brilliant pass to Kunalan, who in turn set the ball for Safiq at the edge of the penalty box.

Safiq then floated in a powerful shot past Taiwan's keeper Lin Po Cheng for only his second international goal in the 28th minute.

Rajagobal made a surprise move by substituting Safee with Negri Sembilan striker Ahmad Fakri Saraani for the second half.

Safee, who was carrying a leg injury after Tuesday's training session, suffered a hamstring injury in the first half.

But Ahmad Fakri's absence for over two months from competitive matches was felt by the striker when he missed a sitter from close range in the 51st minute.

Safiq turned provider in the 54th minutes when his corner kick found centre-back Aidil Zafuan, who rose above the rest to head home Malaysia's second goal.

Malaysia were heading for a comfortable victory but Taiwan silenced the local fans with an important away goal in the 75th minute. Midfielder Chen Po Liang's grounder just inside the box was enough to beat keeper Sharbinee.

RESULTS -- Asia Zone World Cup Qualifying (1st rd, 1st leg): Cambodia 4 Laos 2, Nepal 2 East Timor 1, Mongolia 1 Myanmar 0, Sri Lanka 1 Philiipines 1, Afghanistan 0 Palestine 2, Bangladesh 3 Pakistan 0, Vietnam 6 Macau 0, Malaysia 2 Taiwan 1.

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Ajitpal Singh and Devinder Singh
nstsport@nstp.com.my

President unopposed

FA of Malaysia president Sultan Ahmad Shah was elected unopposed as the new Asean Football Federation (AFF) president at the AFF Congress held in Bangkok yesterday following the withdrawal of his only opponent.

Thailand's Datuk Worawi Makudi opted not to contest the presidency to allow Sultan Ahmad Shah to succeed outgoing president Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail, who had helmed AFF since 1995.

Sultan Ahmad Shah ran on a platform of seeking to unite Asean countries and become a force in international football.

"I come before you as a protagonist of 1Asean, appealing to each one of you to reignite the flames of Asean solidarity and lift this spirit above our own frailities and agendas, and let it soar to heights we have yet to scale," he said in a message to AFF members ahead of the congress.

"Football unites, and this is what I want to do first in AFF. But I cannot do this on my own. I need each and every one of you to pick up the loose ends, and weave them back so tightly that the very fabric that keeps us entwined, will not come asunder again.

"For united we stand, divided we fall. We cannot confront and face our challenges with huge holes or gaps in our armour. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, with one heart and one mind."

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