Kelantan are kings of Malaysian football after treble triumph
The Star, Posted on October 22, 2012
By ERIC SAMUEL
PETALING JAYA: There is no doubt that Kelantan are the new powerhouse of Malaysian fooball.
Their success in competing the treble – FA Cup, Super League and
Malaysia Cup titles – this season is a reflection of their highly
dedicated management team led by Tan Sri Annuar Musa (suspended Kelantan
FA president) and Azman Ibrahim (team manager).
Remember the standard of Kelantan football in the past? They were
mere also-rans and won no major titles in the history of Malaysian
football for 89 years.
What a tremendous revival we see today. How much of colour and
excitement they bring to the game. On Saturday, more than 80,000 fans
flocked to the Shah Alam Stadium for the Malaysia Cup final between the
Red Warriors and Armed Forces. Guess what, more than 90% of the stadium
was filled by the red-shirted Kelantan fans.
More than 100 buses were chartered from Kota Baru and other districts. They came by train, cars and
even a group on bicycles.
Kelantan are the new giants of domestic football. They have been
consistent going by their six Cup final appearances since 2009. They
have under their belt two Malaysia Cups (2010, 2012), two Super League
title (2011, 2012) and one FA Cup (2011).
In 2009, they made the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup finals but finished runners-up to Selangor and Negri Sembilan respectively.
A tribute should be given to the Red Warriors’ passionate fans, who have stood by the team through thick and thin.
Just imagine what ‘fan power’ can do to the game? Yes, Kelantan have
remained unbeaten at home all season. They hold the enviable record of
staying unbeaten in 33 matches in all competitions (FA Cup, Super
League, Malaysia Cup and AFC Cup) at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota
Baru. Plans are now underway to get a bigger home stadium as the present
one can accommodate fewer than 20,000 fans. Kafa have proposed to build
a RM300mil stadium (40,000 capacity) in Bandar Baru Tunjong in Kota
Baru.
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