Police detain Johor FA official on match fixing allegations

Johor police detained a Johor Football Association (Johor FA) official two days ago in connection with the recent match-fixing scandal involving football bookies in the state.

Johor CID Chief Datuk Amer Awal said the official, a woman, would be remanded for five days to facilitate investigations.

"We received a tip off from another Johor FA official on Sunday that a woman official was connected to bookies and involved in match fixing.

"The official is said to be a friend of a police officer in Johor and investigations will be conducted under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) act," he said in a statement here Wednesday.

Armed Forces draw with MP Muar but regain lead in Premier League

Armed  Forces (ATM) remained in the lead of the Premier League although they only managed a 2-2 draw against MP Muar at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Muar Friday.

Coach B. Sathianathan's soldiers are with 22 points after today's match, two  points more than nearest challengers Pahang.

At the Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Paroi, Police played to a 1-1 draw against  Sime Darby with Patrick Ronaldinho putting Sime Darby ahead in the 2nd minute.

Elsewhere, USM FC edged Johor 2-1 at USM's Athletics Stadium in Penang,  NS Betaria edged Harimau Muda B 3-2 at the Hang Tuah Stadium in Melaka (afternoon match) while at the Selayang Stadium, Pos Malaysia were held to a 1-1 draw by Pahang.

Pahang move into top of table in Premier League

Pahang went top of the  Premier League after beating MP Muar 5-1 in a match at Stadium Majlis Perbandaran Temerloh Friday night.

The win pushed Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) down to second in the standing.
In another match, NS Betaria beat Johor MBJB 3-2 at Stadium Sultan Ibrahim, Muar.

Table proppers Perlis only managed one point after drawing 3-3 with Johor at Stadium Utama Negeri, Kangar.

Sime Darby drew 1-1 with Pos Malaysia in a match at Stadium Majlis Perbandaran Selayang.

Only one Johor team may play in Malaysian league next season

Johor may send only one team to play in the M-League competition next season, said Johor Football Association President Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim who is also the Tengku Mahkota of Johor.

Tunku Ismail who was officially appointed to the post during the Johor FA's Extra-ordinary General Meeting today had taken over from state exco for Youth and Sports, Jais Sarday.

 "I do not understand why we need to divide our strength. We must actually pool our resources to strengthen one team only," he told reporters here Thursday.

Johor currently has four representatives in the M-League with Johor FC playing in the Super League, Johor, Majlis Bandaraya Johor Baharu FC and Majlis Perbandaran Muar playing in the Premier League.

Tunku Ismail, a footballer himself said, the financial status of the association can also be strengthened with just a single team playing in the competition.

Pahang beat Johor to move into first place in Premier League

Pahang pushed the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) off the top of the Premier League table Tuesday night after defeating Johor 2-0 at the Temerloh Municipal Council Stadium here.

In the sole Premier League match of the evening, the rousing support of the 5,000 host fans charged the state team to control play and launched repeated attacks at their opponents.

The attacking play paid off in the 11th minute when Azamuddin Mohd Akil put a cross pass from Gopinathan just outside of the box into the net.

Dollah Salleh's boys further strengthened their position with another goal through a Nana Yaw pass to Wan Azwari before crossing it into the penalty box for Azamuddin to slot in his second goal of the match in the 28th minute.

 In the second half, the home team continued to mount pressure on Johor to improve the scoreline but at the final whistle, the score remained Pahang 2 Johor 0.

Fandi Ahmad named as manager of Johor

Winds of change continue to hit Premier League outfit Johor as they prepare to play a wounded Pahang in Temerloh on Tuesday -- a match that could spell their promotion hopes next year.

Pahang, serious title contenders for the Premier League title, were beaten 3-2 by hot favourites Armed Forces at the MBPJ Stadium in Kelana Jaya on Friday and saw two of their key players red carded in an evenly contested match.

Just a day after officially taking over as the Johor FA's technical adviser  and to "work closely" with head coach K. Sukumaran, Singapore football legend Fandi Ahmad was named as Johor's  team manager on Friday.

Fandi, 49, took over  from  Datuk Abdul Aziz Sapian, who is also a deputy president of the Johor FA. 

 "I am really honoured to be given this post. I am grateful to be given the trust by the top guns in the association and I will do my best to take Johor football to new heights," said Fandi, who has signed a three-year contract, yesterday.

The decision to give Fandi additional  responsibilities, apart from being the FA's technical adviser was taken at the Johor FA's council meeting in Johor Baru on Thursday.

Johor have also officially registered Fandi as the team manager with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) with immediate effect.

The winds of change started last week when the association's royal patron  Tengku Ismail Sultan Iskandar announced via Twitter that he had taken over as the president from incumbent Mohd Jais Sarday, who is also the state executive councillor for youth and sports.

To a question, Fandi revealed that he was keen to lead the Singapore Under-21 side to the AFC Under-22 qualifier in Brunei in June as part of the Young Lions preparations for next year's Sea Games in Myanmar.

However, the FA of Singapore (FAS) was slow to respond and Fandi, who has his own football academy in the republic, grabbed the offer from Johor.

"I will still help out the FAS on ad-hoc basis. But right now my loyalty lies with Johor. Sukumaran and myself are determined to rebuild Johor football and bring back the glorious days."

Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad joins Johor as technical adviser

Less than two weeks after the M-League kicked off, the Johor FA has a new president and a new technical adviser too.

The winds of change took place last week when the association's royal patron  Tengku Ismail Sultan Iskandar announced via Twitter that he had taken over as  president from incumbent Mohd Jais Sarday, who is also the state executive councillor for youth and sports.

There was more to come when Singapore's best known footballer Fandi Ahmad, a household name in this region, was brought in by Tengku Ismail as the FA's technical adviser to "work closely" with head coach K. Sukumaran.

Fandi, who  played Malaysia Cup football with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Pahang,  signed a three-year contract with the Johor FA and officially starts work on Thursday although he has been helping out with the team since last week.

Fandi had a training session with the team before Johor played  Sime Darby in Pasir Gudang last Friday. Johor scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win to move into fifth place in the 12-team Premier League on nine points.

Prior to that Johor, one of the three unbeaten teams in the league -- the other two are current leaders Police (11 points) and second-placed Pahang (10 points) -- were dubbed the draw specialists after three draws.

"It is a challenge as Johor are a young and inexperienced team. Sukumaran and  I had discussions on this matter. Johor have the material to be a team of reckoning," said Fandi who  also played professional football in Indonesia and Holland (FC Groningen) during his heydays in the 1980s.

It is learnt that Tengku Ismail wants to "cut out politics" in the sport and rebuild Johor into a football powerhouse. Johor won the Malaysia Cup in 1985 and became the first team to clinch a double in 1991 (League Cup and Malaysia Cup) under Australian coach Michael Urukalo.
Johor's target this season is to win promotion to the Super League next year.

Police beat Pahang to move into first place in Premier League

Police edged Pahang to lead the  Premier League after defeating Perlis 4-2 at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi Friday night.

However, they have played five matches as compared to four by Pahang who take on Armed Forces on Feb 3.

Khairul Izuan Abdullah was the hero for Police tonight, scoring all four of their goals in the 24th, 27th, 55th and 87th minutes while Perlis' goals were netted by Mohd Rizal Mohd Ghazali (3rd minute) and Mohd Khairul Ramadhan Mohd Zawawi (17th minute).

MP Muar also had a good night defeating Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB FC) 5-2 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Muar.

Mohd Alafi Mahmud scored a brace for the hosts with his goals coming in the 51st and 71st minutes while their other goals were supplied by Mohamad Syaiful Sabtu (76th), Mohd Azuwad Mohd Arip (90th) and Abdul Rayjal Abdul Jalil (91st).

MBJB's goals were provided by Azmi Sarmin in the 9th minute (penalty) and 92nd minute.

At the Pasir Gudang Stadium, Johor edged Sime Darby FC 2-1 with the club side the first to score through their Liberian import Sengbah Kennedy in the 5th minute but Fahruzzahar Ali neutralised the advantage in the 13th minute before Mohd Hamzani Omar netted the winner in the 54th minute.

Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia FC (USM FC) had a comfortable 3-1 victory over Harimau Muda B at USM's athletics stadium in George Town with their goals coming through S. Veenod (36th, 60th) and Muhammad Faizad Ghazali (57th) while Mohd Norhamizaref Hamid scored the consolation goal for the visitors in the 7th minute.

However, Pos Malaysia were not so lucky. They lost 2-3 to Negeri Sembilan club side Betaria FC at the Selayang Stadium.

Johor FA to be headed by Tunku Mahkota

Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim has taken over as president of the Johor FA.

Tunku Ismail, a keen polo and football player, announced via Twitter yesterday that he aimed to kick out the politics and bring back the glory days of Johor hockey.

He also urged the Johor government and State Sports Council to play an active role in promoting sports among the youth.

Tunku Ismail called on them to educate youths to excel through sports.

Tunku Ismail said he would provide further details at a press conference soon.

Former Johor FA president Md Jais Sarday said they welcomed Tunku Ismail’s decision to take over as president.

“Tunku Ismail cares about the team and has never failed to attend any of their games and training sessions,” he said yesterday.

The Johor football team won the Malaysia Cup in 1985 and the double in 1991.

Their fortunes have since spiralled downwards due to alleged match-fixing and bribery among players as well as financial constraints faced by the Johor FA.

Pahang move up to first place after drawing with Perlis in Premier League

Though  Pahang recorded a 2-2 draw with Perlis at Stadium Utama in Kangar Friday night, it was good enough for them to take the lead in the Premier League.

Pahang's goals were scored by Mohd Hafiz Mohd Kamal in the 17th minute and Hazwan Mohd Daud (46th minute) while Perlis' import player Muhammad Lamin Conteh saved the homesters the blushes when he netted a brace with his goals coming in the 90th minute and a minute into injury time.

However, at the Selayang Stadium, the tie between Sime Darby and Armed Forces (ATM) had to be aborted towards the tail end of the first half because of a heavy downpour. The match, which stood goalless before being called off, has been postponed to Saturday.

At the Paroi Stadium in Negeri Sembilan, Police were tied 2-2 with Pos Malaysia with their goals supplied by Mohd Norzie Ibrahim (86th) and Khairul Izuan Abdullah (88th) while Pos Malaysia's by Mohd Hafizi Amiruddin (50th) and G. Puaneswaran (54th).

At the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Muar, debutants Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB) had to share points with visitors Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) FC after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Romhizat Jamian scored for the hosts in the 57th minute while USM FC's goal was netted by S.Veeno (73rd minute).

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Betaria who are also making their Premier League debut this season, lost 1-2 to Majlis Perbandaran (MP) Muar at the Hang Tuah Stadium in Melaka.

R.Puganeswaran put MP Muar ahead in the 10th minute before Mohd Fauzi Abdul Kadar levelled for the opponents in the 58th minute. MP Muar's import player  Hilary Odada's goal in the 72nd minute proved to be the winner.

In a Klang Valley derby, Harimau Muda B were tied 1-1 with Johor at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Armed Forces maintain lead in Premier League after third win

Premier League leaders Armed Forces gunned down the Young Tigers (Harimau Muda B) 2-0 at the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya Stadium to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.

The win tonight was the third in as many matches for the army boys under the command of 'general' B. Sathianathan (coach) and helped them stay on top of the Premier League table although Pahang are breathing down their neck with identical points but inferior goal difference.

Former international and Negeri Sembilan ace striker Hairuddin Omar set the tone for the win with the first goal in the 71st minute while Christie Jayaselan made sure of all three points with the second goal in the 80th minute.

Pahang kept pace with the leader after coming from behind to beat Sime Darby 2-1 at the Perbandaran Temerloh Stadium with goals from Mohd Saiful Nizam Miswan (31st) and R. Gopinathan (66th min) after Muhd Zamri Hassan had given the visitors a 10th minute lead.

At the Mawar Field in Pasir Gudang, Johor, the home team went on a goal spree to beat Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bharu (MBJB) 5-0 with Mohd Fauzzi Mohd Kassim scoring a hattrick in the 42nd, 45th and 76th minutes while Muhd Fazly Mazlan and Ahmad Syamim Yahya scored two quick goals in the 57th and 58th minutes to ensure all three points.

At the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Muar, Police scored a comfortable 3-0 victory over MP Muar with Mohd Amri Fazal Mat Nor opening accounts in the 55th minute while Mohd Fauzi Abdul Majid added a brace in the 69th and 85th minutes.

In Penang, USM FC scored a narrow 2-1 win over Betaria from Negeri Sembilan at the USM Athletic Stadium.

Meanwhile, Pos Malaysia and Perlis played to a 3-3 draw in a high scoring match at the Selayang Stadium.

Negeri Sembilan continue winning while T-Team regain form

Negeri Sembilan kept their 100 per cent record intact in the Malaysia Cup while the Klang Valley derby between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor turned out to be a bore yesterday.

Negri, the former champions, edged Super League runners-up Terengganu 1-0 in a Group B match in Paroi.

An on-form Hairuddin Omar and Ahmad Fakri Saraani were Negri's most hardworking players in the first half as their darting runs and skill tormented Terengganu's defenders.

Hairuddin almost took his Malaysia Cup tally to four goals but his spectacular scissor kick was saved on the line by Terengganu keeper Sharbinee Allawee in the 12th minute. 
 

The homesters continued to dominate proceedings and their persistence paid off in the 65th minute through Shahurain Abu Samah.

The midfielder ran through the Terengganu defence before flicking the ball past keeper Sharbinee for the lead.

Negri have collected a maximum of nine points from three matches, and ahead of Terengganu by three points in the group.

Premier League champions PKNS FC recorded a slim 1-0 win over Sime Darby FC for their first victory in the competition.

T-Team regained their form with an impressive 4-0 thrashing of Police in a Group D match in Kuala Terengganu.

T-Team made several changes to their squad after last weekend's defeat to KL by replacing goalkeeper Jibrail Kamaron with Zairi Hafizi Idris and also bringing on striker Haris Safwan, who was a substitute in previous matches.

It took some time before T-Team broke the deadlock through a spectacular Zairo Anuar Zailani's corner kick, which swerved into the back of the net in the 44th minute.

Defender Norhazly Alias scored his third straight goal in the competition, when he headed home Norfarhan Mohamad's cross a minute later.

Fitri Omar added their third when he poked home a rebound in the 66th minute.

Zairo turned provider for T-Team's fourth goal when his pass found an unmarked Norfarhan, who in turn steered the ball past the out rushing Police keeper Hamdan Sairi in the 76th minute.

Kuala Lumpur lead the group by a point after sharing the spoils with Selangor in a 0-0 draw at the Selayang Stadium

Selangor dominated the first half and could have scored on several occasions but for wayward finishing and fine goalkeeping by Norazlan Razali.

Amri Yahyah chipped just over the bar, Razman Roslan sent a free-kick straight at the goalkeeper while Fadzli Saari shot at Norazlan in the space of 10 minutes midway through the half.

Norazlan then twice denied Selangor, first sticking out a leg to block Fadzli's point-blank attempt before tipping Amri's free-kick on to the bar in stoppage time.

In Kuching, Johor FC recorded a crucial 1-0 victory over Sarawak in a Group C match to stay in contention for a spot in the quarter-finals. Veteran striker Eddy Helmi scored a penalty in the 54th minute.

Surprise package Sabah and Perak maintained their supremacy in Group A with each earning three points once again yesterday.

Perak fought hard to edge Kedah 2-1 in a match, which was stopped by the referee for 10 minutes after fans threw flares onto the pitch.

Shafiq Jamal (16th) and Failee Ghazali (38th) scored for Perak while Kedah replied through Khyril Muhymeen (36th).

Zainizam Marjan scored a brace in the 36th and 55th minutes to help Sabah beat Premier League side Johor 3-1 in Kota Kinabalu.

Both Johor teams still hoping to recover despite loses

The show goes on for the two Johor flag bearers -- Johor FC and Johor -- in the Malaysia Cup competition after both picked up their second straight defeat in their respective groups but still believe they are very much in contention for the second round.

It was heartbreak for Johor FC, last year's beaten semi-finalists, in Kota Baru in a Group C match. A cruel twist of luck gave Kelantan full points and their second straight win in a match which the visitors could have easily drawn or even won after taking the lead through Eddie Helmi Abdul Manan.

But Lady Luck deserted them when Johor FC defender Hamzani Omar deflected the ball into his own net to give the hosts a lifeline before super-sub Ramzul Zahini Adnan got a late winner.

Johor FC's stand-in coach Sazali Saidon, who took over the reins from Azuan Zain who has been told to take an "indefinite rest" from the competition, took the defeat in his stride as he looks forward to the trip to Kuching when his team complete their first round matches against Sarawak tomorrow.
 

"It was heartbreak for us when everything was going smoothly. There was commitment and discipline from the players and we even took the field. But sometimes the unwanted happens and we lost in the last few minutes of play," said Sazali.

"But I must admit our finishing is still not up to mark. If we had been sharp in front of the goal it would have been a different story," said Sazali.

"We have no choice but to win all our remaining matches. I still see hope in the team. Our revival starts with Sarawak ...we need to win against the East Malaysians. Even a draw in Kuching will not be enough.

"Our second matches also start with an away match -- against Felda. So we got to get a positive result against Sarawak to haul ourselves back. There is zest and enthusiasm among the players and I am counting on this to make up for the disappointment in Kota Baru."

Azuan, who has high blood pressure, was told to take a rest after Johor FC lost 2-0 to Felda United in their opening match in Pasir Gudang.

It was a disappointing performance by Johor FC against Felda who drew flak from the Super League club's top management. Led by Johor FC deputy president Rozan Sa'at, secretary Tahir Hamdan and treasurer Shahrom Mohd Yasir, the management called for an emergency meeting last Thursday to take immediate remedial action to "rekindle" Johor FC's quarter-final hopes.

Bookie arrested during Johor-Kedah match

Match fixing reared its ugly head yet again when police arrested an alleged bookie during the Johor-Kedah Malaysia Cup Group A match at the Larkin Stadium on Tuesday.

 

Kedah won the match 2-0 with a brace by national player Khyril Muhymeen.

However, Johor team manager Datuk Abdul Aziz Sapian does not believe any of his players were involved in any match fixing and is more than satisfied with the overall performance of the team against four-time champions Kedah.

"Kedah won on merit. Even if a bookie has been arrested, let us not just pick on the players.

 

"Match-fixing is not just about the bookies and the players. The net should be cast far and wide ...you also have to look at the match officials.

"The referees or coaches could also be the target of the bookies.

"So it is only fair that all angles should be investigated and bring the culprits to book.

"Of course I am perturbed with the arrest of an alleged bookie," said Abdul Aziz, who has vowed to get rid of the ugly disease.

On May 9, the Johor FA management gave four players an immediate boot from the team for alleged match fixing.

According to Abdul Aziz, team management also took several other measures to curb match-fixing, which he did not disclose.

"We might have lost to Kedah but it does not mean it is the end of Johor's campaign in the Malaysia Cup.

"One defeat is not the end of the world... there are other matches to be played and we will try to qualify for the quarter-finals from the group.

"Our next match is against Perak away this Saturday. The players have vowed to improve on their performance and go for a win. There is still hope and we will fight till the end."

After Perak, Johor will travel to Kota Kinabalu for a mid-week match against Sabah .

Defending Champions Kelantan win in style but Selangor lose

Super League champions Kelantan and Terengganu earned crucial away victories while Selangor's miserable season continued on the opening day of the Malaysia Cup yesterday.

Kelantan, the top seeds in Group C, endured a tough time against Sarawak at a packed stadium in Kuching before scoring twice in the second half through national striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha (64th) and S. Chanturu (75th).

In another Group C match, Felda United earned a morale boosting 2-0 victory over a fumbling Johor FC at the JCorp Stadium.

Johor FC's poor finishing stood out like sore thumb in the first half as they were unable to take their chances well. Former international Farderin Kadir made it count for Felda with a header off a corner from Syazwan Zainon in the 44th minute before extending their lead in the 68th minute.
 

Terengganu, the former Malaysia Cup champions, were at their best in a 3-0 victory over Premier League side Sime Darby FC in a Group B match at the Selayang Stadium.

National player Joseph Kallang Tie and Reeshafiq Alwi were on target in the seventh and 35th minutes respectively in the first half. Former national Under-23 striker Manaf Mamat scored their third in the 82nd minute.

A 10-man Negri came from a goal down to edge Premier League champions PKNS FC 2-1 at the MBPJ Stadium. A mistake by Negri goalkeeper Farizal Marlias saw Mohd Norhafizuan Jailani giving PKNS the lead in the ninth minute but the visitors equalised seven minutes later through veteran Hairuddin Omar.

Negri, who controlled the rest of the half, took the lead when Shahurain Abu Samah rifled home a loose ball from the edge of the box in the 45th minute.

Negri keeper Farizal received a straight red from referee Zamzaidi Katiman for bringing down PKNS' Ashidi Dilashari in the 56th minute but the homesters failed to capitalise on their advantage.

In Group D, Kuala Lumpur were in devastating form as they notched a 3-0 victory over Police at the Paroi Stadium. An own goal by Azrul Azman handed KL a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute after Farid Ramli's shot from outside the box took a deflection off the Police centreback and looped over keeper Al-Husaini Ibrahim.

Police were reduced to 10 players after goalie Al-Husaini was red carded for bringing down Yong Kuong Yong in the box. Badrul Hisyam Azmi sent substitute keeper Hamdan Sairi the wrong way from the spot in the 64th minute before Kuong Yong extended their lead 12 minutes later.

Selangor's wretched season continued when they were edged by T-Team 1-0 in Kuala Terengganu. Norfazly Alias' close range effort, off a corner kick from Zairo Anuar Zailani in the 72nd minute earned T-Team their third straight victory over the former Super League champions.

Selangor dominated play after 20 minutes of the match but poor finishing due to a toothless strikeforce denied them from scoring.

Kedah topped Group A after securing a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Johor while in another match, Sabah and Perak drew 0-0.

Kedah's Khyril Muhymeen scored the goal of the season with a superb solo effort in the seventh minute. The national player outwitted two Johor defenders before rounding keeper Syamim Othman to tap home the ball before adding his second 10 minutes from time.

Terengganu, Negri Sembilan and Kedah win their opening match in Malaysia Cup

Ten-man Negri Sembilan overcame a jittery start to their Malaysia Cup campaign when they edged Premier League champions PKNS FC 2-1 in a Group B match at the MBPJ Stadium here yesterday.

PKNS took a surprise lead through midfielder Mohd Norhafizuan Jailani in the seventh minute before Negri hit back through striker Hairuddin Omar in the 18th minute and winger Shahurain Abu Samah in the 45th minute.

Negri, however, suffered a blow 11 minutes after the restart when goalkeeper Farizal Marlias was shown the red card for bringing down PKNS striker Mohd Ashidi Dilashar outside the box.
PKNS doubled their efforts to grab the equaliser but Negri, though a man short, stood firm.

In another Group B match, FA Cup champions Terengganu cruised to a 3-0 win over Sime Darby FC at the Selayang MC Stadium.

The Turtles needed just seven minutes to open accouints through talismanic winger Joseph Kallang Tie.

Midfielder Reeshafiq Alwi then doubled their lead in the 35th minute before striker Abdul Manaf Mamat put the finishing touch with the third goal in the 85th minute.

In Group A, Kedah had no problems overcoming Johor 2-0 at the Larkin Stadium while Sabah held Perak to a 0-0 draw at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu.

National winger Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri was the hero for Kedah when he scored a brace – in the sixth and 81st minutes.

Defending champions Kelantan the team to beat in Malaysia Cup

Kelantan's preoccupation with securing the release of Olympic squad goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat should not detract their mission to retain the Malaysia Cup, which gets underway in earnest today.

The defending champions will kick off the Group C tie against Sarawak at the State Stadium in Kuching with Shahrizan Ismail in goal after national Olympic coach Ong Kim Swee quickly shot down Kelantan's request for Fahmi.

The Olympic team, preparing for an Asian third round Group A qualifier against Japan on Sept 21, have six players from Malaysia Cup sides in the squad including Kelantan duo Fahmi and striker Izuan Solahuddin.

Not that it should matter as Kelantan have a formidable squad strengthened by the loan signings of Azamuddin Akil and Surendran Rasiah from Pahang in an attempt to make a third straight Malaysia Cup final.
 

Badhri Radzi and Shakir Shaari, ably supported by winger Nurul Azuan Roya, form a potent midfield combination while in S. Subramaniam and Farisham Ismail, they have a sturdy defence capable of rising to any challenge.

Azamuddin has settled in well with Super League champions Kelantan, resuming his partnership with Norshahrul Idlan Talaha from their days together with UPB-MyTeam in 2009.

With Terengganu, Negri Sembilan and Selangor certain to challenge Kelantan strongly for the title, Azamuddin and Norshahrul will have to hit the ground running for Kelantan to sow fear into the opposition, if they had not already.

"Azamuddin has done well in the friendly matches we have played and has adapted well even when playing as a lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation," Kelantan coach M. Karathu told kelate.net.

"He has been able to form a good combination with Norshahrul and Badhri. I hope he retains his goal-scoring touch," said Karathu after watching Azamuddin score in friendly wins against Kuala Lumpur (5-0) and Kuala Terengganu T-Team (3-1) recently.

Premier League runners-up Sarawak, coached by Robert Alberts, could not have asked for a more difficult opponent to start their campaign.

"For our level from the Premier League to play against Kelantan champions of Super League, we are ready. We look forward to the match," the Dutchman told the Borneo Post.

Selangor, after watching the League title slip away from their grasp, bid to win the Malaysia Cup for the first time since 2005 when they take on T-Team, who won both their league meetings this season, in Kuala Terengganu.

FA Cup winners Terengganu have an injury doubt over midfielder Ismail Faruqi Ashari ahead of their trip to Petaling Jaya to play Sime Darby, who should not be under-estimated after ousting Pahang 6-0 on aggregate in a playoff,

Cup specialists Negri hope to put a poor League campaign behind them when they start afresh against Premier League champions PKNS in Petaling Jaya while Kedah too aim for a winning start against Johor at Larkin.

Perak travel to Kota Kinabalu to face Sabah in a Group A match without five key players, who will miss the entire group stage after being handed seven-match bans by the FA of Malaysia for accosting the referee after a 1-1 Super League draw with Sabah in Lumut on May 19.

Skipper Shahrulnizam Mustapa, striker Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, goalkeeper Nasril Nourdin, Syazwan Roslan and Azmeer Yusof missed Perak's final league game, a 0-0 draw with Selangor, and will only see action in the Malaysia Cup if the team make the quarter-finals.

Coach Norizan Bakar, however, has brought defender Hafiszuan Salehuddin (Perlis), striker Failee Ghazli (USM) and Rafiuddin Roddin (Young Tigers A) on loan to compensate for the absence of the suspended five.

2 Johor teams aiming to progress in Malaysia Cup

Johor have two teams in the Malaysia Cup - Super League outfit Johor FC and Premier League side Johor - and their campaign in the country's premier football competition begins with home matches against Felda United and Kedah respectively.

Both Johor FC and Johor believe they can rise to the occasion and advance to the quarter-finals from their respective groups.

Johor FC are in Group C with defending champions and favourites Kelantan, Felda United and Sarawak, while Johor have former champions Kedah, Perak and Sabah for company in Group A.

Johor FC can ill afford to draw or lose against Felda United at the JCorp Stadium in Pasir Gudang if they don't want to lose direction after a topsy-turvy run in the Super League where they finished seventh.
 

"The critics may have written us off but we aim to surprise. I must admit we did not perform to expectations in the league. Inconsistency was our biggest setback. It will be different in the Malaysia Cup," said Johor FC secretary Tahir Hamdan.

In the league, Johor FC drew 1-1 with Felda at home but came off 1-0 winners away. Tahir believes Johor FC have the team to do well in the Malaysia Cup.

"Somehow, we always see an improved performance in the Malaysia Cup. We are counting on players like Eddie Helmi (Abdul Manan) and Shahrizal (Saad) to show their stuff. They had a subdued run in the league but I expect them to shine in the Malaysia Cup," said Tahir.

Johor FC have never failed to make the Malaysia Cup since 1998. They reached the semi-finals in 2008 and last year but were knocked out by Selangor and Negri Sembilan respectively by identical 2-1 aggregate wins.

Johor, who won the Malaysia Cup in 1985 and 1991 and were runners-up in 1986, are experiencing a slump with their last piece of silverware coming in 1998 when they won the FA Cup under then coach Steve Darby.

But team manager Datuk Abdul Aziz Sapian sees hope in the new Johor team and strongly believes they will be among the contenders. "Do not underrate us. We are ready for Kedah (in the opening match) and the others. A win over Kedah will put us in the right stead for our away match against Perak next Sunday, " said Abdul Aziz.

Johor's tough stand on match-fixing benefits team

Premier League outfit Johor were the first team to nip match-fixing in the bud by taking quick and firm action when they booted out four players in May, apart from taking other action to check the spread of the disease.

The four players were sacked with immediate effect after a Johor FA council meeting on May 9 found them "guilty" of match-fixing.

The reward was a top four finish which was enough to qualify for the Malaysia Cup although Johor's initial target was to finish in the top two and earn promotion to the Super League.

Drawn in Group A with Kedah, Perak and Sabah for the Malaysia Cup, the 1991 double champions are now gunning for a quarter-final berth - which means they need to finish in the top two in the group.
 

Team manager Datuk Aziz Sapian strongly believes his team will be the "surprise package" in the tournament.

"We have done enough to gain recognition for the team. A fourth place finish in the Premier League and a place in the Malaysia Cup is enough motivation for the team," said Aziz.

"Match-fixing nearly derailed us at one stage, but we nipped the disease in the bud and booted four players from the team. This was enough to send a strong message that we will not tolerate any nonsense and that we mean business.

"We also took other remedial solutions to stop the rot. At one stage Johor were in a good position to challenge for promotion until this disease came into the picture.

"I dare say that if we had found evidence of match-fixing earlier we would have been there at the top. But that is history now as we look forward to take Johor football to new heights. We aim to go far in the Malaysia Cup and take off from there for the new season.

"We are well prepared. Kedah, Perak and Sabah are about the same standard as Johor, so much will depend on how we fare at home.

"To be ready to face our rivals, we have played several tough friendly matches away, including some against Singapore clubs. The results have been very encouraging. We even beat Super League 'brothers' Johor FC 4-0 in a friendly. This is very motivating for a young team like Johor.

"More importantly, the players know we mean business. They are aware that we keep track of their movements and anyone caught doing the 'unwanted' will be severely dealt with. These young players now know the consequences they face if they are found doing wrong."

Match fixing and money woes affecting Johor football

MATCH fixing and financial woes have caused the Johor football team to spiral down the rankings in the national football scene, a state executive councillor said.

State Youth and Sports committee chairman Md Jais Sarday said the management tried to rope in young players with reasonable salaries for the current season.
“We wanted to groom these young players and targeted to achieve success by the 2013 season.
“But they did not meet our expectations and some got involved in match fixing,” he said in his winding-up speech at the state assembly here.

Md Jais said the management had since expelled four players.
Comparing Johor to the high-flying Kelantan team, he said: “Imagine how hard it is for our football team to run on a tight budget when Kelantan spends about RM5mil a season.
“The management of the team (in Johor) are forced to find ways to pay the salaries of the players and staff.
“Because of this, our best players have moved on to other teams,” he said.

Md Jais said Johor, which is playing in the lower Premier League, received a sponsorship from JCorp amounting to RM2.7mil.
He said when the state team was in the Super League last year, it received a sponsorship of only RM700,000.
Of this, RM400,000 was from the state government while the other RM300,000 was sponsored by paint company Colourland.
Md Jais said sports accessories company Al-Ikhsan sponsored the jerseys and sports gear.