Kedah ready for Malaysia Cup campaign

Kedah coach Wan Jamak Wan Hassan returned to Alor Star yesterday after celebrating Hari Raya with his family in Johor Baru but he will be back in his hometown on Monday for a different reason -- to kick-start Kedah's Malaysia Cup campaign in Group A.

 

Johor, Kedah, Sabah and Perak will battle for the top two places in the group, which will mean quarter-final berths in the country's premier football competition.

The former national coach joined Kedah in May after quitting his job with Negri Sembilan following some disappointing results in the league.

He took over the hot seat from Ahmad Yusof, who was removed as Kedah coach for similar reasons.

Wan Jamak did enough to take Kedah to a respectable fourth place in the 14-team Super League, considering that they were in ninth position when he came into the picture.

And Wan Jamak believes that he has done enough for the team to mount a strong challenge in the Malaysia Cup.

"The quarter-finals are within our reach. But I am also looking at the final. It is not impossible to achieve that. I have a team capable of facing any team. Our late charge in the league showed that we can hold our own in the Malaysia Cup," said Wan Jamak.

"The team lacked fitness, mental strength and motivation when I took over. But all that has changed. Now, the players have self-confidence and are ready to show their stuff. I can see the glow in their eyes... giving me hope that I can count on them to deliver."

Kedah played seven friendly matches during the break and won six. The only defeat was by Songkhla, powered by four foreign players, in Songkhla. Kedah lost 1-0 to a last minute goal.

Wan Jamak, however, was quick to point out that Kedah are not writing off Perak or even Sabah and Johor.

"The Malaysia Cup is always full of surprises and it always has the best of all teams in the fray. They all have our respect. Johor are always tough to crack at the Larkin Stadium. We have to be wary of them although, experience wise, we have the edge," said Wan Jamak, whose contract with Kedah ends after the Malaysia Cup.

Kedah have four internationals in their side -- strikers Baddrol Baktiar and Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, midfielder Amar Rohidan amd defender Azmi Muslim.

Wan Jamak enjoyed a successful three-year stint with Negri which began in 2008 before he was unceremoniously dumped. In his first season, he guided Negri to second spot in the Super League.

A year later he won the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup for the team. Last year, Negri won the FA Cup and finished runners-up in the Malaysia Cup.