Kelantan Red Warrior FC optimistic FIFA ban will end after submitting required documents, hopeful for fair decision.
KELANTAN Red Warrior FC (KRW FC) are optimistic that the FIFA ban on registering foreign players will be resolved soon after submitting all the required documents and explanations to the world football governing body.
Its president, Datuk Muhammad Zaki Harun, said the club hopes for a fair decision as the issue was not caused by KRW FC but is believed to have arisen from confusion due to the use of a logo and name similar to those of a previous entity, resulting in claims being filed by a player’s lawyer against that entity.
“We have submitted all the documents to FIFA and hope that a fair decision will be made. We believe the decision, which will be announced after the World Cup, will favour KRW FC.
“This issue also arose at the start of the A1 Semi-Pro League campaign, but we managed to overcome it and finished the season in fourth place, which was a major achievement compared with several teams that had been competing much longer,” he said at the unveiling of KRW FC’s sponsors for the 2026-2027 season here today.
Muhammad Zaki said the club has also been holding discussions with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the Malaysian Football League (MFL) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), all of which understand KRW FC’s actual position regarding the issue.
He said despite the challenge, the management remains enthusiastic about competing in the 2026-2027 Super League season after securing the support of 23 sponsors, most of them companies based in Kelantan.
“To date, we have 23 sponsors under various packages, and there are still more sponsors in discussion, including a company from Brunei. The support from these sponsors gives KRW FC an advantage heading into the new season and serves as a morale boost for the players and coaching staff,” he said.
Muhammad Zaki said the management recognises that the Super League presents far greater challenges than the A1 Semi-Pro League, and therefore every plan will be implemented carefully in line with the club’s financial capability.
He added that although KRW FC are still a relatively new club, their fourth-place finish in the A1 Semi-Pro League, which earned promotion to the Super League, proves that the team is capable of competing at the highest domestic level.
