Monday 5 March 2012

Coach Wan Jamak inspires Kedah after returning from seven match ban

Like a conductor of the orchestra, Wan Jamak Hassan, weaved his wand and the Canaries are back on song.

Coach Wan Jamak was banned for seven matches but since his return on Valentine’s Day (Feb 14), Kedah have been going great guns. They drew one and won two matches.

The Canaries drew with Terengganu 1-1 on Feb 14 and edged Selangor 1-0 on Saturday. On Feb 18, they beat Selangor PKNS 4-2 in a shootout in the first round of the FA Cup.

Kedah, at the wrong end of the table, beat Selangor to register only their second win in the Super League.

Although victory over Selangor was nothing to shout about, with the all important goal coming via the penalty spot from their French midfielder Abdulfatah Safi seven minutes from the final whistle, it was enough to bring back the smiles on Wan Jamak’s and the fans’ faces.

“No matter how slim the victory may be, what matters to me and Kedah at this stage is the three important points,” said the former national coach, who was slapped a seven match ban by the FAM Disciplinary board for his comments in the media at the tail end of the season last year.

“Victory proved that we can bounce back and it also restores confidence, which was wanting in my absence, to the team.

“But what pleases me most is the change in the mentality and attitude of the players. They showed that they are finally starting to believe in themselves.

“If we can continue be consistent, we should be back on track.”

So who can blame Wan Jamak for feeling so relieved? The three precious points, which gave Kedah 10 after nine outings, have moved them up to 12th in the 14-team Super League table.

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