Kuala Lumpur to take on loan unsettled foreign players from Kelantan

In dire need of that extra edge of quality, Kuala Lumpur have reached an agreement to take on loan Kelantan's two unused foreign players in the city side's bid to stave off relegation from the Super League.

After losing 15 players from last season's squad and dropping another three, KL were forced to scrounge around for players unwanted by other teams and the consequence is a three-match losing start to the season which was only halted with a 1-1 draw against PKNS last Saturday.

Realising that they cannot hope to improve without the services of imports, Kuala Lumpur FA president Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz reached an agreement with Kelantan FA president Tan Sri Annuar Musa recently for KL to take Lebanese striker Zakaria Charara and Ghanaian defender Emmanuel Okine on loan for the rest of the season.

Kelantan had initially wanted to use the pair for their AFC Cup campaign in addition to their two other imports -- Mohammed Ghaddar and Dennis Antwi -- but are now seeking two other foreign players for the continental tournament instead.

"The two FA presidents have met and agreed to have Charara and Okine join KL on loan for the rest of the season. All that needs to be sorted out is their documentation and registration which should be completed by next week at the latest," said KLFA general secretary Nokman Mustaffa yesterday.

Charara, 26, has scored twice in 13 appearance for Lebanon and won the Lebanese Premier League title with Nejmeh in 2009 while Okine is an imposing and raw 18-year-old defender highly rated by Kelantan coach Peter Butler.

As neither player has played an official game for Kelantan, they are eligible to turn out for bottom-side KL and coach Razip Ismail could have Charara and Okine join his squad by tomorrow though they will not be in the KL squad for Saturday's trip to Kelantan under the terms of the loan deal.

Their Super League debut could come in the home game against Kedah on Feb 8 at the Hang Jebat Stadium with Razip glad to have the extra bodies to call upon given injuries to his main strikers Badrul Hisyam Azmi and Stanley Bernard.

"They were supposed to come today (yesterday) so until I see them first-hand, I'm not sure what to think. But it will be good to have the players if they can help improve our results.

"I already have quite a few strikers, especially when Badrul and Stanley return so I might look to use Charara in an attacking midfield role," said Razip, who hopes to have Ahmad Dashila Tajudin back against Kelantan after the defender missed the PKNS game with a groin complaint.