Pahang beat Kedah to win Charity Shield in Minister of Education League Cup

SMK Seberang Temerloh of Pahang lifted the Charity Shield when they edged SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah 3-2 in the curtain raiser to the Minister of Education League (MELC)-100PLUS Cup football competition in Gambang yesterday.

Mohd Shahrul was the toast of SMK Seberang Temerloh when he fired a brace, including the winning goal in the 65th minute after both teams were tied 2-2. 

Shahrul had his name on the score sheet earlier in the 23rd minute while Shahibul Qayyum Fadhillah netted the other goal in the 19th minute.

SMK Tunku Anum replied through Mazlan Mohd (sixth) and Mohd Firdaus Ismail (35th).

32 teams to compete in Under-12 league tournament

Thirty-two teams from Perak, Penang and the Klang Valley will battle for the Liga 1MCC Under-12 title next month.

1MCC and Cardiff City Football Club (Holdings) Limited chairman Datuk Chan Tien Ghee said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was expected to officiate the league at the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) on March 31.

1Malaysia Cardiff City plans for the Liga 1MCC to kick off on March 3 with the competing  teams  divided into two groups.

Each  team will play  15 matches in the round robin preliminary round.

The top eight teams from each group will square off in the last 16 of the knockout stage.

The teams will be in action every Saturday and Sunday from 8.30am to 5pm at the RRI  ground  in Sungai Buloh, Selangor.

The Liga 1MCC is an FAM-sanctioned league and is a platform for  aspiring footballers to make their mark in a fun-filled and safe environment.

Players who impress  will stand a chance of attending a training stint at  Cardiff City Youth Academy which is renowned for its well-structured programmes and philosophy.

Tien Ghee said: "The Liga 1MCC provides a platform for youths from different social, economic and racial backgrounds to come together to realise their full  potential. If we can identify a potential football star, that would be a bonus.

"However, our programme is structured to reach out to all youths, encouraging a healthy lifestyle through  football.

"Other attributes such as team spirit, discipline, responsibility and commitment will emerge over time. This is also about developing our youth to be good citizens of the country."

Tien Ghee was speaking at the team managers' meeting at Bukit Kiara Club yesterday  where the team managers of the 32  teams  gathered for the  draw.

The teams:-
Shah Alam Academy FC, Akademi Bolasepak Kota Damansara, Akademi Bolasepak MBPJ, Akademi Bolasepak Tunas Lagenda, Akademi Persatuan Sukan Bintang Biru, Akadem iSoccerkids-MBSA, Astaka FC, CIMB-YFA Bintang Muda, Glenmarie United, Jasmine Junior FC, Junior Soccer Schools,  Kelab Bolasepak Remaja Harimau Klang, Kelab Bolasepak Puchong United FC, Kelab Bolasepak Remaja Bersatu, Kelab Nuri Bank Rakyat, Kuala Lumpur Youth Soccer,  Lestari Junior FC, Little League Soccer, Mahkota Football Academy, MBJ United, MY Kids Soccer, PFKA Batu Caves, PKNS FC, PNSB FC, Proficient Football Academy,  Qube Football Academy, Red Giant Kid, Royal Selangor Club, S.P.T Indians Football Academy, Sweet Soccer Academy, UKRC Junior Kids, Junior Kids Perak Soccer Academy.

Perlis win Under-12 football tournament on penaty shootout

Dark horses Perlis beat Kelantan 4-3 on sudden death penalties to win the inaugural Champion of Champions Under-12 football tournament at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Muar on Sunday.

Kelantan striker Ahmad Tasnim Nasir’s failure to score the first sudden death penalty proved costly as Perlis’ Muhammad Akmal Salleh then converted his spotkick to secure the trophy for the northern state.

The final went into a shootout after both teams failed to score any goals during the regulation period. In the shootout, Perlis and Kelantan were tied 3-3 after failing to convert two penalties apiece from the five spotkicks awarded. 

Champions Perlis took home RM10,000, while runners-up Kelantan walked away with RM7,500.

Early favourites Kedah gained some consolation after defeating Penang 2-0 in the third placing playoff. Kedah went home with RM5,000 for their efforts while Penang received RM2,500.

The eight-team Champion of Champions tournament was organised by the National Football Development Committee, which was formed by the government under the guidance of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, the National Sports Council (NSC) and the FA of Malaysia (FAM).

Prior to the eight-team Champion of Champions Finals in Muar, a qualifying tournament comprising 14 teams was held in Perak.

Perlis beat Kelantan to win Champion of Champions inter school tournament

Perlis won the inaugural Champion of Champions football tournament when they held their nerve to beat Kelantan 4-3 on sudden death penalties in the final at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium yesterday.

The score at the end of the regulatory 60 minutes was 0-0 and it was 3-3 at the end of the five penalty shootouts.

The first attempt at goal in sudden death fell to Kelantan but striker Ahmad Tasnim Nasir shot straight to Perlis keeper Shahzwan Shafri instead.

Perlis' Muhammad Akmal Salleh the stepped up to send the ball to the right of the goal well beyond the reach of Kelantan custodian Muhammad Azri Abdul Ghani.

Perlis coach Mohd Shahabuddin Kadir said: "The game was very close and when it came down to penalties, it was really anybody's title."

With the rain showing no relief since Saturday night, the quality of the game yesterday was affected as neither team could display their hard running short passing game.

The usually nippy Kelantan winger Wan Alif Aiman Rosmaidi rarely got the ball into the Perlis box where at the end of the first half, striker Muhammad Syaiful Alias only got one shot in which was saved by Shazwan.

The win for Perlis saw them bagging RM10,000 while Kelantan walked off with RM7,500.

Kedah scored some consolation when they won third place after beating Penang 2-0 in the game that was played earlier in the morning.

Kedah's goals were scored by Faez Faizal Nor in the 37th minute and Mohd Izwan Ghazali four minutes later. Kedah bagged RM5,000 while Penang  took home RM2,500.

The Champion of Champions is supported by the National Football Development Committee, which is chaired by Datuk Razali Ibrahim, the deputy Sports Minister.

Kedah beat Kelantan to win Under-17 Champion Schools tournament

SM Kulim of Kedah emerged champions of the 100Plus Champion Schools Under-17 football tournament when they beat SM Kampong Chengal of Kelantan 3-0 in the final at the UiTM Sports Complex in Arau, Perlis, yesterday.

SM Kulim got their goals through Mohd Shamim Izwan Abdullah (20th), Mohd Solihin (31st) and Abdul Halim Shaari (52nd).

The Kedah school, who upset favourites Victoria Institution (VI) of Kuala Lumpur 1-0 in the semi-finals on Wednesday, pocketed the RM2,000 champions’ purse while the SM Kampong Chengal took home RM1,500.

There was double joy for four SM Kulim players as they also picked up individual awards.

Mohd Shamim Izwan was named the best player, Abdul Halim Shaari (man-of-the match), Mohd Fahmy Izzarin (best goalkeeper) and Mohd Nabil Fikri (best defender). Mohd Alif Nordin of Kajang High School bagged the top scorer award while VI walked away with the Fairplay award.

Kedah to meet Kelantan in Under-17 Champions School final

Sekolah Menengah Kulim could not believe their luck that they are in the final of the 100PLUS Super Cup Under-17 Champions School tournament in Arau.

They are also confident of winning the trophy which they have never won before.

The Kulim boys will play Sekolah Menengah Kampong Chengal of Kelantan in the final at the UiTM ground tomorrow.

Sekolah Menengah Kampong Chengal edged Sekolah Menengah Kajang 5-4 on penalties after both teams drew 1-1 in extra time.
 

Sekolah Menengah Kulim are on a high after stunning favourites Victoria Institution of Kuala Lumpur 1-0 in the semi-final at the Sekolah Menengah Syed Hassan ground yesterday.

VI started off promisingly by winning a penalty midway in the second period but Aidil Zainal Abidin failed to convert.

IN the last minute, Sekolah Menengah Kulim won a free-kick from 20 metres out which saw Mohammad Shamsul Muzahir swerve the ball past goalkeeper Azrai Faozi.

In the quarter-finals, Sekolah Menengah Kulim beat Sekolah Menengah Sultan Sulaiman of Terengganu 1-0 while VI overcame hosts Sekolah Menengah Vokasional Arau 1-0.

Sekolah Menengah Chengal of Kelantan edged Sekolah Menengah Clifford Perak 5-3 on penalty kicks after both teams drew 0-0 in extra time while Sekolah Menengah Kajang, the losing semi-finalists, thrashed Sekolah Bukit Rambai of Malacca 5-0 in the quarter-finals.

RESULTS - Semi-Finals: SM Kulim (Kedah) bt VI 1-0; SM Kampong Chengal (Kelantan) bt SM Kajang 5-4 on penalties (1-1 at end of extra time).

FIXTURES -- Today, Final: SM Kulim v SM Kampong Chengal (UiTM Ground, 8.45pm).

Malacca and Kuala Lumpur in quarter finals of Under-17 schools tournament

SMK Bukit Rambai of Malacca are through to the quarter-finals of the 100PLUS Under-17 Champions' School and believe the road is wide open for them to clinch the title.

A 3-1 win over SMK Abdul Rahman Taib of Pahang in their final Group A match at the Sekolah Syed Hassan ground in Arau, Perlis, yesterday earned them a ticket to the quarter-final stage by virtue of finishing runners-up to unbeaten SMK Kulim of Kedah.

But it has looked so uncertain for the boys from Malacca. After losing their opening match 2-1 to SMK Kulim on Monday, they had to beat SMK Abdul Rahman Taib to stay alive.

After a nervous start, SMK Bukit Rambai settled down but it was only in the very last minute of the first period that they managed to break down their opponents' defence with a goal from Norfaizaitul Iqbal Ayub. 
 

Then two quick goals in succession in the 33rd and 40th minutes from Sharemal Aziz and Solehi Ahmad Zuhaimi respectively virtually sealed the win for Bukit Rambai though Tengku Amirul Abdul Razak pulled one back for SMK Abdul Rahman Taib in the 51st.

"We have been given a second chance and must take it. I thought that after our loss to Sekolah Menengah Kulim it would be difficult to make a comeback. But we did it with an encouraging performance today (yesterday)," said Bukit Rambai's coach Zairi Kusin.

The fancied Victoria Institution from Kuala Lumpur also made the quarter-finals in style with a 100 percent record in Group C.

They finished as group champions after a 4-1 win over SMK Komplex KLIA in their final group match yesterday at the Sekolah Vokasional Arau ground, leaving Sekolah Clifford of Perak in second place.

Also through to the last eight is Kajang High School with their unbeaten record in Group B and scoring nine goals on their way to the top.

They beat SM Sains Labuan 4-0 and then edged Sekolah Vokasional Arau 1-0 on Monday and put four goals past SMK Precint 8 Putrajaya yesterday.

Joining them from Group B into the knockout stages is Sekolah Vokasional Arau, who trounced the boys from Labuan 7-0.

Beaten losing finalists in 2009 and losing quarter-finalists last year, Sekolah Gua Perahu from Bukit Mertajam are out of the championship for fielding an ineligible player.

The player concerned had previously played in the Minister of Education League Cup this year.

That allowed Kelantan's SMK Kg. Chengal and SMK Sultan Sulaiman from Terengganu to be the two qualifiers from Group D.

Penang disqualified from Under-17 schools tournament

SMK Guar Perahu of Bukit Mertajam, Penang, have been disqualified from the 100Plus Champions Schools Under-17 football tournament for fielding an ineligible player.

The Penang schools champion won both their Group D matches but were denied a place in the last eight for infringing the competition rules by fielding a player who had previously featured in the Minister of Education League Cup this year.

SMK Chengal of Kelantan and SM Sultan Sulaiman of Terengganu thus qualified for the quarter-finals from Group D.

Besides SMK Guar Perahu’s exclusion, they were no other surprises as the fancied teams cruised into the quarter-finals.

SM Kulim of Kedah and SMK Bukit Rambai of Malacca qualified from Group A; Kajang High School and Arau Vocational School made it from Group B; and Victoria Institution (VI) of Kuala Lumpur and SMK Clifford of Perak advanced from Group C.

SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah beat VI to the title when the tournament was an Under-18 event last year.

MOE League Cup : Terengganu and Kedah emerge champions

SMK Bukit Nenas of Terengganu celebrated a rare double when they won the Under-14 Minister of Education League Cup (MELC) to add to their Charity Shield triumph at the beginning of the season.

But they nearly didn't make it as SMK Bukit Nenas had to come from a goal down in the first half to edge SMK Seri Kota of Malacca 2-1 in the final at the Langkawi Sports Complex yesterday.

"I believe that this is the first time that a team have won the double. We showed that the young players from Terengganu can emulate the success of the senior state team," said Zainuddin Md Zain, the coach of SMK Bukit Nenas.

"After trailing by a goal, I told the players that they have nothing to lose and that they should go all out to make sure that they come back with the crown this time round after losing in the final last year."

In spite of the early pressure, SMK Seri Kota took the lead in the 17th minute when Muhammad Haziq Iskandar Khalid slammed home from close range.

But the concession of a penalty six minutes into the second half allowed SMK Bukit Nenas to draw level after captain Muhammad Aqil Irfanuddin Mohd Sabri sent SMK Seri Kota goalkeeper Muhammad Khairil Zol the wrong way. With four minutes remaining, Mohd Zarulizwan Mazlan nailed the winner.

It was good to be in the final and even though we lost, I felt that the best team won on the day," said Mohd Faimi Abu, the chief coach of SMK Seri Kota.

In the Under-17 Ministry of Education Youth League, defending champions SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah had to fight tooth and nail before prevailing over SMK Syed Hassan of Perlis 2-1 in extra time.

SMK Tunku Anum scored twice in extra time to win their second crown in two years after both sides were level 0-0 after full time.

MOE League Cup : Terengganu-Malacca and Kedah-Perlis in the Finals

Terengganu will face Malacca in the Under-14 category while Kedah will meet Perlis in the Under-17 category of Minister of Education League Cup (MELC) finals.

SMK Bukit Nenas of Terengganu will face Malacca's SMK Seri Kota in the final of the Under-14 Minister of Education League Cup (MELC) on July 26.

SMK Bukit Nenas, losing finalists last year, upstaged defending champions SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah 2-0 in Alor Star in the first leg semi-final and 1-0 at home in the second leg.
Mohd Zalanie Zakaria scored the only goal of the second leg in the 66th minute.

"Playing against Tunku Anum was quite stressful. We knew anything could happen, so we did not pressure the players too much," said SMK Tunku Anum team manager, Norizan Mohamed.

In the other semi-final, SMK Seri Kota came from a goal deficit in the first leg to beat SMK Seberang Temerloh of Pahang 4-0.
The scorers for the Malacca side were P. Yugan (7th minute), Muhammad Haziq Iskandar Khalid (18th), Muhammad Hazim Razali (52nd) and Muhammad Najmuddin Samat (70th).

"The players showed good discipline and they worked hard," said SMK Seri Kota coach Mohd Faimi Abu.

In the Under-17 Ministry of Education Youth League, SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah reached the final after beating SMK Seberang Temerloh of Pahang 5-4 on penalties after regulation time ended 1-1. Khairun Annas Ibrahim (87th minute) cancelled out SMK Seberang Temerloh's 47th minute strike through Mohd Rafani Wahab. The score in the first leg in Alor Star was 1-1.

SMK Tunku Anum's opponents in the final will be SMK Syed Hassan of Perlis.

After losing 2-0 at home last week, SMK Syed Hassan powered to beat SMK Mutiara Impian of Penang 5-2 with goals from Mohamad Safiuddin Md Salim (4th, 75th minute), Alif Che Zahir (42nd) and Mohamad Syafiq Azmi (47th, 75th).
The scorers for SMK Mutiara Impian were Amirul Syazani Roslan (17th) and Muhamad Faizat Mohamad Ghazli (40th).

MOE League Cup : Defending champions beaten

A BRACE from striker Solahudin Mahmud gave SMK Bukit Nenas of Terengganu a well deserved 2-0 win over defending champions SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah in the Under-14 Minister of Education League Cup (MELC) first leg semi-finals last Saturday.

In the match that was played in Alor Star, the home team started brightly but it was Solahudin who gave the lead to the east coast team with a close range effort in the 11th minute.

And with just four minutes left of the first half, Solahudin was again on target to give SMK Bukit Nenas a psychological advantage for the return tie in Kuala Terengganu on Saturday.

"We played very well and we are really proud of the boys," said Zainuddin Mohd Zain, the chief coach of SMK Bukit Nenas.

"We have taken a big step for a place in the final this year, so we just have to make sure that we play as well in the return tie.

"We lost to Kedah in the final last year, so we have a good chance of returning that favour this time round."

Incidentally, SMK Tunku Anum had also lost the Charity Shield to SMK Bukit Nenas at the start of the 2011 season.

Kedah were not at all disappointed with the defeat at home as they were confident that they would overcome the deficit in the return tie.

"We are believers in the adage that 'in football anything can happen'. Both teams are equal in terms of strength and I believe that we have a decent shot for the return tie," said Basirul Abu Bakar, the coach of SMK Tunku Anum.

"Our defence was a little off and we only have ourselves to blame for the loss. But we told the players that they must learn from this defeat.

"In Terengganu, we will be attacking all the way. We must win to qualify for the final and defend the crown we won last year."

In the other semi-final, SMK Seberang Temerloh of Pahang carved out a 1-0 advantage at home over SMK Seri Kota of Malacca.

The only goal of the game came off Mohamad Abdullah in the 33rd minute of play.

In the first leg semi-finals of the Under-17 Ministry of Education Youth League, SMK Tunku Anum of Kedah were denied a win at home when they were held 1-1 by SMK Seberang Temerloh of Pahang.

In the other semi-final, SMK Syed Hassan of Perlis failed to take advantage of playing at home when they went down 2-0 to SMK Mutiara Impian of Penang.

Penang and Kelantan win national schools championships

GEORGE TOWN: Penang had targeted to capture two titles in the national schools football championships in George Town recently, but ended up with only one

.

The hosts were confident of winning the Boys' Under-12 and Under-15 crowns but suffered the heartbreak of losing to Kelantan in the Under-12 final in a penalty shoot-out.

In the Under-15 final against Kuala Lumpur at the George Town City Stadium, Penang's Muhammad Asyraf Zainol's 22nd minute strike was enough to make them champions.

The topic of the day was the Under-12 final between Kelantan and Penang at the Penang Free School ground. Penang, clearly the better team, lost.
 

Penang's Under-15 coach Azhar Abdul Rahman said of the present squad, eight players are still eligible for next year's competition.

"Normally we will have two teams in each age-group category, so with the eight experienced players and a few from the other team, there will be a more formidable team next year.

"I can safely say that Penang should be able to retain the title next year."

Azhar picked twins Muhammad Nazrul Najmi Md Noor and Muhammad Nazrul Naim Md Noor, and brothers Muhammad Firas Asyraaf Zaharul and Muhammad Faiz Akmal Zanarul, and Muhammad Syafiq Rizuan as the players to watch out for.

He said this batch of players, who are mostly from the elite Penang Free School, are disciplined, have great teamwork and perform to instructions.

They are also scoring academically, as evident by their many As in their UPSR examinations.

The coach said many of the boys were offered places at the Bukit Jalil Sports School but they preferred to continue studying locally, especially at Penang Free School, and play football.

He believes that if this team were kept together, the future of Penang football will definitely be bright.