KOTA BHARU: Kedah Darul Aman FC now has a chance to secure a slot in next season’s AFC Cup, when they collected three points after recording a 6-1 victory over Kelantan FC, in the Super League match at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium, yesterday.
Kedah Darul Aman FC head coach, Mohd Nafuzi Muhammad Zain, said that the three-point win was important for his team to close the gap with the Selangor team, who are in second place in the Super League.
“Currently, we only have a two-point difference with Selangor, and we have two more league matches left.
“The focus now is to secure the second place slot for the AFC Cup next season, as the other slot belongs to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT). Hence, the competition at the moment is only between Kedah and Selangor,” he told reporters, after the Super League match here.
The current Super League standings see JDT in first place with 70 points, Selangor in second place (55 points) and Kedah in third place (53 points).
Mohd Nafuzi said that his team needs to be consistent to win the next two games.
“After this, we will meet Selangor at home ground and it will be an advantage for us, so this match is very important,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kelantan FC head coach, Alfredo Vera, said that Kelantan FC’s young players should be given more time to allow them to experience playing in high high-standard league.
“We have to remain positive as the players worked hard on the field until the last minute, despite facing a stronger team; at least the players got experience to move forward.
“I often tell the players that the opportunity to play should be used as best as possible, as many teams in the Malaysian League are watching the match,” he said.
He said that Kelantan FC’s young players have the potential to develop, if given the opportunity to play either with imported players or experienced local players.–Bernama
