Foul!

As published in Malay Mail today By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — FA of Malaysia (FAM) general secretary Datuk Hamidin Amin conceded there was a miscommunication between the national body and the Malaysian Stadium Corporation (MSC), the guardians of the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The Malaysia Cup final between Pahang and Johor Darul Takzim, the Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2014 Carnival and a Buddhist prayers event all take place in and around the National Stadium tomorrow. Mayhem is expected as more than 150,000 people are likely to converge  on the vicinity of the 100,000 capacity stadium. Further, carparks A and B are closed for the Sarawakian event while the prayers take place at the Putra Stadium. “It was a miscommunication. For them (MSC) the stadium is in good condition and able to host the final. Only later, we realised about the other two events,” said Hamidin. However, Hamidin insisted the National Stadium ...

As published in today's Malay Mail   By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — “Don’t let me down.” That was the message by FA of Malaysia (FAM) president Tengku Abdullah Shah to the men in blue after chairing the Malaysia Cup security committee meeting at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. His anxiety comes as no surprise as the National Sports Complex is set to host three events — the final between Pahang and Johor Darul Takzim, the Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2014 Carnival at car park A and B outside the main stadium and a Buddhist prayers event at the nearby Putra Stadium. Some 150,000 people are expected to flock the complex. Football fans have been advised to head to the stadium by 2pm —more than six hours before the kickoff at 8.45pm. But fans will only be allowed to enter the stadium after 4pm. “We need the cooperation from the fans. Otherwise, the police will not be able to handle the volume of people,” said FAM security committee deputy chair...

As published in Malay Mail today. By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my KUALA LUMPUR — The FA of Malaysia (FAM) had insisted on the Malaysia Cup final to be held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday, revealed Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Khairy said there was not much the Malaysian Stadium Corporation (MSC), which comes under the purview of his ministry, could do as they had already committed to two other events — a Sarawakian carnival and a religious prayer — scheduled on the same day. Johor Darul Takzim will play Pahang in the final which was earlier scheduled for Nov 8 but brought forward to this Saturday to give the national team time to prepare for the Asean Football  Federation Cup which starts on Nov 22. “It was unfortunate FAM changed the date of the final. MSC had already committed to the other two events and both the event organisers have paid in full for the use of the facilities,” said Khairy. “FAM in...

As published in Mailsport today. By Vijhay Vick vijhayvick@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — Benjamin Franklin once said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” And the FA of Malaysia (FAM) is certainly preparing to fail by holding the biggest football game in the country at a venue where two other major events are taking place. The Malaysia Cup final, a Sarawakian festival and a religious prayer event all take place in and around the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. Why did the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (MSC) give the nod to all three events on the same day and are the authorities capable of handling such a turnout? Why didn’t FAM consult MSC before deciding to bring forward the date of the Malaysia Cup final from Nov 8? If FAM had planned its calendar properly, there may not have been a clash with the other events.  FAM did not even consider the Shah Alam Stadium — last year’s final venue — as an alternative at yesterday’s M...

Haresh Says, as published in Mailsport today. THE venue: An Irish bar in the heart of Bukit Bintang. The time: Five hours before the kick off of the Malaysia Cup final last Sunday. The ‘visitor’: Englishman Antony Sutton , who settled down in Jakarta more than a decade ago and is known as  Mr Jakarta Casual as per his blog and column in Jakarta Globe. The ‘host’: Yours truly The ‘match’: Malaysian football. Sutton is among the growing number of Mat Sallehs who is extremely fascinated with football in this region. He often writes about the leagues in Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia and even Malaysia. We first shared our views about the possible outcome of the Malaysia Cup final. I had earlier predicted Kelantan to defeat Pahang 2-0. Instead, the Elephants trampled over the Red Warriors as Argentine Matias Conti scored the solitary goal of the match for Pahang to reclaim the title they last won in 1992. Sutton then progressed into the M-Lea...

I was wrong in my 'ramalan'. Based on their current form and the team's build up especially throughout the Malaysia Cup, I thought Kelantan would defeat Pahang 2-0 in the final. Instead, Pahang's Argentinean star Matias Conti ( pic ) scored the solitary goal of the match and it was enough for Pahang to clinch the title they last won in 1992. It was a different Kelantan on the field, especially in the last 15 minutes of the match. Pahang clearly had more fire compared to the Red Warriors. 'Tok Gajah tamat kemarau 21 tahun' as reported by Harian Metro and Pahang ends 21-year wait, as reported in The Malay Mail today. This marks the end of the 2013 season which, sadly, has been plagued with the same problems - players not being paid wages on time, claims of match-fixing, horrible playing ground, ticketing issues and fans lighting up flares at the stands. It also saw changes within the FA of Malaysia - mainly Hamidin Amin replacing Azzudin Ahmad as the g...

Selangor having failed in their ‘mission 33’ to wrest the Malaysia Cup after last winning it in 2005, have not wasted any time in preparing for the new season. They have already signed former Selangor player Mehmet Durakovic as head coach, after having failed to secure B. Satianathan. FA of Selangor deputy president Datuk Mokhtar Ahmad confi rmed the appointment of Australian Durakovic earlier this week and also disclosed he will be bringing two players with him — a midfi elder and defender. Mokhtar said talks have also been held with national striker Safee Sali while they are also on the lookout for a goalkeeper coach. The three goalkeeper coaches in the race are former Selangor and Czech World Cup custodian, Karel Stromsik, former national goalkeepers Khairul Azman Mohamed, currently with Johor Darul Takzim and Selangor’s Azilsham Ibrahim, now with Pahang.   “Safee has indicated his interest in playing for Selangor, but he will have to sort out his status with JDT a...

Jalaluddin Jaafar is known for being a one-club player but the 38-year-old veteran's CV remains incomplete as missing is a Malaysia Cup medal. Pekan-born Jalaluddin, who signed with Pahang in 1997 after guiding their state Malaysia Games team to the football gold medal in the 1996 edition on home soil, is desperate to win the trophy which has eluded him throughout his career. The closest he has come to lifting the trophy was in 1997 when Pahang, then coached by Dane Jorgen E. Larson, were beaten 1-0 by Selangor. Now, after 16 years, Jalaluddin, who has played over 400 games for Pahang, is daring to dream big again after helping his team secure a two-goal cushion from the semi-final first leg last week against Sarawak. They play the second leg at the State Stadium in Kuching on Saturday. Read the full report by NST's T.N. Alagesh her e. HD says : Will Sarawak be able to surprise Pahang?

Following frman 's tweets on his Twitter account on Friday, I spoke to several individuals about the missing tickets involving Johor Darul Takzim matches. The article appeared on the backpage of The Malay Mail today. More than 300 M-League tickets involving Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) were reported “missing”,  raising questions about the security of courier services in the country and the lengths individuals will take to make a quick buck from the football fever. Mailsport learnt 308 tickets for six matches involving the Southern Tigers in both the Super League and Malaysia Cup went missing. The star-studded Johor side have been enjoying massive attendances at their home matches throughout the season. The tickets were couriered from Kuala Lumpur to Larkin via Pos Laju. Read more here . HD says: Some folks will go to great lengths to get M-League tickets.

Johor Darul Takzim are determined to score more goals in the Malaysia Cup quarterfinals return leg despite enjoying a two-goal cushion in the first leg on Saturday. The Southern Tigers managed a 4-2 win over defending champions Kelantan at Larkin Stadium in their first quarterfinals clash. Both teams will meet again this Saturday in Kota Baru. “We just can’t take things for granted and don’t expect us to feel comfortable with the two goal lead,” said Johor Darul Takzim coach Azmi Mohamed. “Kelantan will be in full force at their home ground. They are eager to make it to the semis. It is not going to be easy." Read more here . Pic from Bernama. HD says: It will be an interesting return leg.

The Malaysia Cup competition, which moves to the quarterfinals stage, will have special visitors attending the matches who will scrutinise the matches themselves. The special visitors are officials from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Royal Malaysian Police. The officials from these three agencies will not only observe the matches, but also the run-up to the games, including the training sessions. Read more here . HD says: Would prefer to hear the number of individuals arrested.

The Malaysia Cup drama has started, even before its kick off tonight. Former Singapore international Fandi Ahmad ( pic ) submitted his resignation letter as the Southern Tigers team manager on Saturday. His decision was accepted by the Johor FA. What led to Fandi quitting the team? Was he slighted after he was removed as coach? Did he have actual say in the team? Fandi said he has "no regrets" leaving the team and did not rule out the possibility of coaching another Malaysian team in the future, as reported in Mailsport today. Meanwhile, here is the history of the Malaysia Cup and the list of past winner. While Fandi leaves, former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil ( pic below ) returns to Putrajaya as she is set to be appointed as a special adviser to Prime Minister Najib Razak. She made a similar return during former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's tenure in office. Apparently, "tawar hati" with The Malay Mail Online's headline which rea...

It looks like Perak coach Azraai Khor Abdullah has a new job scope - watering the field at the Perak Stadium. The field has not been watered properly, as revealed on the backpage of the The Malay Mail today. I obtained confirmation from Azraai over the poor condition of the field as the team gears up for the Malaysia Cup. The Malay Mail's reporter Fernando Fong, who is based in Ipoh, meanwhile observed that the field is in a poor state. He added the stadium is not maintained properly and there were rubbish everywhere. As the stadium is managed by the Ipoh City Council, it was only right to seek clarification from them. Ipoh Mayor Roshidi Hashim promised swift action. After contacting his staff, he returned my phone call and admitted the council had overlooked the matter and promised to carry out rectification works. "I must thank people like you and the Media generally for highlighting such matters to us. Sometimes such matters are not brought to my attention and...

UPDATE 2.57pm: And this is Hodak's response to the article below; "Will, may, could...these are all English words which are cleverly used. I am still negotiating with Kelantan so if you ask me my answer is simple - I don't know lah...it depends on what transpires between me and Kelantan FA. I have delivered and now it is about receiving the rightful payment. Everyone needs money, I need money, my wife needs money, my kids needs money, even my friends at Kelab Aman need me to make money so that I can buy them drinks (before bursting into laughter)." And in his SMS to me he said; "I am leaving Kelantan this week...till 15th November for holiday." LOL!   ------- So says Reuters as seen in this story; Joy was short-lived for fans of Kelantan soccer club when, after seeing the side complete the domestic treble with victory in the Malaysia Cup, coach Bojan Hodak hinted he may quit the top-flight club.  "I am a professional ...

Finally some good news in the athletics scene. Noor Amirah Nafiah set a new national record in the women's triple jump event in the Malaysian Open Athletics Championships with a jump of 13.9m. She erased the eight-year old record of 13.74m previously held by Ngew Siew Mei. Meanwhile, the Malaysia Cup first leg semi final match between Kelantan and Selangor last night drew some interesting comments. The commentators and fans were clearly shocked that the players failed to execute proper throw-ins on several occasions during the game. A commentator went on to say; " It's the basics..... " That aside, Kelantan managed a slim 1-0 victory over the Red Giants. HD says: Who will make it to the Malaysia Cup final?

Berita Harian called it Sandiwara BAM . The Star and NST spoke on the players instead. SS Dhaliwal made some revelations on his blog as seen here . Question - isn't it evident that nothing can be kept in the dark anymore and organisations need to be as transparent as possible? People tend to talk, more so when you ask them to keep it private and confidential. Meanwhile, an NST report on football had this to say; The FA of Malaysia (FAM) will review its earlier decision to expand the 16-team Malaysia Cup competition to 24 next year Many fear the Malaysia Cup would lose its prestige by allowing lower ranked Premier League teams into the event. Question - didn't the Malaysia Cup lose its prestige a long time ago no thanks to the lacking in standards and professionalism among participating teams? Heck, have we ever turned Pro? Then again, aren't transparency and professionalism alien in our sporting scene? HD says: Am I missing anything? Nah...sam...

Latest (11.02pm): Negri Sembilan staged a come back to edge Terengganu 2-1 in the Malaysia Cup final at the Shah Alam Stadium. ----- Let's study the scenarios below. 1) Bukan sengaja mahu mencipta alasan, sebaliknya kos membaiki permukaan padang menjadi punca utama Persatuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) terpaksa meletakkan harga tiket kepada RM 50 bagi semua tempat duduk untuk aksi final Piala Malaysia esok. - Utusan Malaysia 2) Kutipan tiket bukan 100 peratus milik FAM sebaliknya akan diagihkan kepada Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Sembilan dan Terengganu yang beraksi pada perlawanan akhir itu selain pelbagai perbelanjaan lain. - Harian Metro 3) He (FAM general secretary Azzudin Ahmad) said the issue on the ticket price being too high did not arise as it has been agreed to by the football associations of both states. - Bernama Now let's look into these details 1) FAM will first collect between RM450,000 to RM500,000 as levy followed by 30 percent of the remaining money from...

It was an emotional weekend in the world of sports. New Zealand edged France 8-7 to win the Rugby World Cup at home , Manchester United suffered a horrible 6-1 defeat to Manchester City while world No 1 shuttler Lee Chong Wei failed to win the Denmark Open after losing 21-15, 21-18 to Chen Long of China in the men's singles final . It also marked a black spot in the Sepang International Circuit's (SIC) history of hosting the MotoGP after rising star Italian Marco Simoncelli ( pic ) died at Turn 11 in Lap 2. Those who managed to see the final moments of Simoncelli negotiating the lap, especially the visual from Colin Edward's bike before Dorna pulled if off from Youtube, could see how Simoncelli somehow lost control with his left leg raised too high in the air, slipping off his bike into the paths of Edwards and Valentino Rossi. SIC CEO Ahmad Razlan Razali stressed it was an accidental death. HD says: R.I.P Marco. You'll be missed.

UPDATE (Oct 24, 9am): MSL Sdn Bhd are aware of this problem and will added security features in the sales of tickets next season. Read more in today's Mailsport . ----- Isu tiket lagi. I remember writing about the 'over-printing of tickets' during the FA Cup final this year as seen here . A month prior the FA Cup, I mentioned in my column there were past year's tickets sold at the venues this season as written here . Hours ago, I received this email. You be the judge. Assalamualaikum Dan Salam 1Malaysia. Saya disini mewakali ribuan penyokong Pasukan Terengganu ingin meluahkan rasa kesal dan tidak puas hati kepada Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Terengganu (PBSNT) mengenai penjualan tiket Separuh Akhir Semi Final 2 antara Terengganu vs Selangor di Stadium Sultan Ismail Nasaruddin Shah. Untuk pengetahuan saudara media yang dihormati, PBSNT telah memaklumkan bahawa penjualan tiket separuh akhir ke 2 hanya akan mula dijual pada hari sabtu 22/10/2011 jam 9.00 pagi. Oleh...

UPDATE: Terengganu edge Selangor 2-1 (agg: 4-1), Negri Sembilan defeated T-Team 2-1 (agg: 6-3). Terengganu play Negri Sembilan in the final. ------ Irfan Bakti seems bullish of Terengganu entering into the final. However, P.Maniam's Selangor could find their Mission 33 campaign come to an end in the return leg semi final tonight. Terengganu secured a 2-0 win in the first leg at the Shah Alam Stadium. Selangor's biggest problem is finding the goals. The Red Giants simply lack sting up front. Negri Sembilan, meanwhile, beat T-Team 4-2 in their first leg semi final clash and are hoping to extend their lead in Paroi when both teams meet in the second leg. So could it be a Terengganu-Negri final after all? The Star seems to think so. NST believe it is do or die for Selangor and T-Team. Berita Harian says it is ' detik penentu ' while Utusan said this is Selangor and T-Team's final chance. Here's a question, had it been another team instead of Selangor suffering f...