A Dream Too Far

Malaysians dream of seeing their country lifting the AFF Suzuki Cup for the second time came crashing down when goalkeeper Farizal Marlias failed to deal properly a freekick taken by Thailand Kroekrit Thawikan and the loose ball tucked away by Charyl Chappuis with eight minutes to go.

The Tigers had completed a stirring comeback after losing the first leg 2-0 at the Rajamanggala on Wednesday.

Safiq Rahim early penalty after a soft foul on Norshahrul Idlan Talaha paved the way for Malaysia to pile on the pressure on the Thais with the Ultras Malaya providing the vocal push.

Bukit Jalil Stadium erupted in even louder roar when Indra Putra Mahyudin's header trickled into the net during the first half injury time after a good delivery by Norshahrul from the right.

Two minutes under the hour mark Safiq produced a stunning strike, this time from a freekick just outside the box to beat Thailand goalkeeper, Kawin Thamsatchanan to put Malaysia into the lead for the first time in the series.

The goal was Safiq's sixth of the tournament which eventually made him the topscorer which came with the Golden Boot award.

However the majority at the stadium knew that Malaysia really needed another goal to kill off the Thais who needed just a goal to gain the advantage on away goals rule.

What the Malaysians feared the most became a reality in the 82nd minute with the error committed by Farizal.

With the score 3-1 to the Malaysian Tigers but the Thais having the away goal advantage, Dollah Salleh's men had no choice but to take the match to the visitors, risking themselves to the quick counter-attack by Thailand.

The gamble did not pay off as Thailand managed to get their second goal two minutes from time through a quick counter-attack which ended when Farizal was left grasping thin air as Chanathip Songkrasin's shot went past him.

Just prior to this goal substitutes Gary Steven Robart and Muslim Ahmad came close with their efforts.

With their team needing to score two quick goals to win the trophy, the home fans knew their dream was over.

At the final whistle the score read Malaysia 3 Thailand 2 but the home side lost 4-3 on aggregate.

It was great to see the Thai players honouring the home fans with their lap of honour and the fans gave them a full hearted applause in return.

Credit too must be given to Dollah Salleh who rode the criticism throughout the tournament to get the team to the final, something that not many believe would happen prior to the tournament.

Including me.

Pahang Retain the Malaysia Cup

Defending Malaysia Cup champions, Pahang retained the prestigious trophy after beating JDT 5-3 on penalties. Both sides were tied with two goals apiece after extra-time.

Zainal Abidin Hassan repeated the feat achieved by his close friend, Dollah Salleh who brought the cup back to Pahang for the first time since 1992, this time making sure it stays in Pahang for another season.

The final started off with both teams testing each other but it was Pahang who made the breakthrough.

Striker Dickson Nwaekeme powered past the static JDT defence to head home a free-kick by Azidan Sarudin to give the fans in yellow the start they were hoping for.

However, the star-studded JDT side began to find their footings and just after the half hour mark levelled the score when Pereyra Diaz reacted first to a blocked shot by Fadhli Shas to volley the ball past Khairul Azhan.

Four minutes later JDT turned things around when Luciano Figueroa sent Khairul the wrong way from the spot after the referee awarded a penalty to his team when Pahang skipper, Razman Roslan handled in the box.

JDT dominated proceedings with Figueroa hitting the post early in the second half. They were further boosted when Pahang defender, Saifulnizam Miswan was given the marching order in the 68th minute during an altercation with Amri Yahyah.

Despite being down to ten men, it was Pahang who scored next when their trio of imports combined to breach JDT defence. Mattias Conti headed a high ball to an unmarked Damion Stewart who found Nwaekeme with a quick pass.

The striker could not have wished for a better chance and he finished it clinically to level the score for The Elephants.

JDT continued to create the better chances but in the end neither goalkeeper was really troubled as the match ended in a stalemate after extra-time, forcing the penalty shootout to make a return to the Malaysia Cup final for the first time since 1998.

Razman, Stewart, Shahrizan Salleh and Zesh Rehman all converted their kicks to make it 4-3 with Figueroa, Diaz and Haris Harun having done the same for JDT.

Their next penalty taker was Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, who due to the combination of Figueroa and Diaz lacked playing time together another Malaysia striker, Safee Sali.

His effort was tame with the ball travelling at a comfortable height for Khairul to make a save and the favour swung heavily on Pahang to win the cup through Hafiz Kamal.

The substitute did not disappoint with a well struck penalty and Pahang have their fourth Malaysia Cup title.


...

Goals Galore as THT Crushed UniKL

Terengganu Hockeyy Team (THT) began their campaign in the MHL-TNB 2014 Premier League with a convincing 7-0 win University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) last night.

National striker, Faizal Saari sounded the board five times during the match with strikes in the 12th, 16th, 20th, 32nd and 43rd minutes. Baljit Singh and Firhan Ashaari were THT other goalscorers.

In an earlier match, Sapura staged a fightback against Maybank after going two goal behind to end the match with a point after forcing a 2-2 draw.

Pakistan international, Abdul Haseem Khan gave Maybank the lead in the 21st minute and Mohamad Syafiq made it 2-0 three minutes later.

However, Ameerullah Abdul Aziz reduced the deficit in the 28th minute before another Pakistan international, Khasif Ali converted a penalty corner in the 54th minute to level the score which stayed until the final whistle.


...

Malaysia Inaugural King of the Beach

Malaysia emerged as the inaugural champions of the AFF Beach Soccer Championship held at the Teluk Chempedak Beach, Kuantan today after beating Vietnam 6-4 in the final.

Thailand took third place after beating Laos 4-1 in their playoff match.

Malaysia, with players from Terengganu making the core of the squad finished second in Group B behind the Laotians with two wins over Myanmar and the Phillipines to qualify for the semi-finals.

With Felda the main sponsor for the event, they were also represented by a team but did not make it out from their group, finishing bottom after losing all their matches.

Malaysia beat Group A winners, Thailand 3-2 in a pulsating encounter with the winner coming in extra time after both sides tied at 2-2 at the end of normal time.

In the other semi-final, Laos failed to hold on to a two goal lead against Vietnam and succumbed to a 3-2 loss.

The final played before a strong crowd saw Malaysia dominated and raced to a three goal lead through a brace from Mohamad Zaharim and Mohammad Fakhrullah before Bui Tran Tuan Ahn replied for Myanmar.

Zaharim completed his hattrick with his next strike but Tran Vihn Phuong reduced the deficit again before Mohamad Norazman restored Malaysia three goal lead almost immediately.

Malaysia seemed to take their foot off the gas after this and it allowed Vietnam to chase the game and made it 5-4 with Tuan Ahn becoming another player to complete a hattrick.

Mohamad Riduwan then put some cushion with another goal for Malaysia.

However they suffered a major blow when Norazman was given his marching order towards the end of the match but Vietnam could not take advantage and Malaysia were crowned the first champions of AFF Beach Soccer Championship.

Double Success for Terengganu Sports School SMK Bukit Nenas

Terengganu Sports School, SMK Bukit Nenas registered a double victory when their teams emerged as champions in two age group competitions organised by the Ministry of Education.

The senior SMK Bukit Nenas side recorded a 6-1 win over Sarawak Sports School, SMK Tabuan Jaya in the final of the Ministry of Education - FAM Youth League Cup Under 17 League in the afternoon.

Their juniors meanwhile repeated the feat later in the evening when they met Penang Sports School, SMK Mutiara Impian in the final of the Minister of Education Cup Under 14 League, winning the match 1-0.

Both matches were played at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu.

THT Aiming for MHL Glory

The Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) have announced their target for the upcoming Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), that is to win at least one of the titles on the offer.

THT squad is full with internationals with Shahrun Nabil, the Saari brothers: Faizal and Fitri, Firhan Ashaari, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin joining Malaysia captain Azlan Misron.

They helped Malaysia to finish fourth behind host South Korea at the recent Asian Games in Incheon after losing to the Koreans in the bronze medal playoff.

Two other internationals, Muhamad Hafizuddin Othman and Hazrul Faiz who did not go to Incheon are given the task to keep out opponents from scoring.

Meanwhile the Malaysians will be reinforced by five Korean players: Kang Moon Kyu, Jang Jong Hyun, Kang Moon Kweon, Bae Jeong Seok and Seo Jong Ho. With the exception of Jong Ho, the rest helped South Korea securing the bronze medal at the expense of Malaysia in Incheon.

THT could also rely on the experience of former Malaysian internationals: Ismail Abu, Jivan Mohan, Balit Singh and Engku Abdul Abdul Malek Engku Mohamad to achieve their objectives.

The man in charge of coaching the squad is the experienced Sarjit Singh with Nik Rozemi Nik Mohamad and Shamsol Ismail providing the assistance.

Standing in their way are 2013 double champions KL Hockey Club (KLHC), Tenaga Nasional, Maybank, Sapura and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). The MHL will begin in earnest on 29 October.


...

Silver Arrow for Archers in Recurve

Malaysia hope of adding another medal to their collection was dashed when the Men's Recurve team lost their bout to China this morning at the Gyeyang Asiad Archery Arena.

The trio of Atiq Bazil Bakri, Haziq Kamaruddin and Khairul Anuar Mohamad could not match the consistency of the Chinese archers, Gu Xuesong, Qi Kaiyao and Yong Zhiwei in scoring higher points which saw them losing 6-0.

Squash Deliver another Gold

Squash as expected delivered another gold to Malaysia medal tally after the Women's team, led by Nicol David beat India 2-0 in the final held at the Yeorumul Squash Courts.

However the Indians gained their revenge when they beat the Malaysian men in the Men's final by the same scoreline.

Archers Through to Finals

Malaysian archers qualified for the Recurve Men's Team final after winning their semi-final match against Japan at the Gyeyang Asiad Archery Field today.

Earlier they won their 1/8 elimination match against Nepal 5-1 before seeing off Hong Kong in the quarter-final 6-0.

They will meet China in the final on Sunday.

Tomorrow Muhammad Zaki Mahazan will take on India Abishek Verma in the Compound Men's Individual semi-final and a win will give Malaysia another shot at the gold medal.

Girls Bow Out of Medal Contention

It was an emotional scene at Seonhak Hockey Stadium after the final buzzer sounded, ending the match between Malaysia and India.

The score was 6-1 in favour of the Indians but the Malaysian girls gave their all during the match.

With a place in the last four if they managed to pull off the necessary result against India, Malaysia were shocked early in the match as India broke the deadlock just after four minutes.

They fell further behind five minutes later and by the second quarter ended the score was 4-0.

India made it five without reply in the third quarter but Malaysia managed to pull one back through skipper Nadia Abdul Rahman.

However India scored another field goal to finish the match 6-1 and booked their place in the last four.

They will face South Korea while the Malaysian girls must pick themselves up for the 5th and 6th position classification match against Kazakhstan.

Squash Promises Another Gold

Malaysia are through to the final of the Women's Squash team event after winning their semi-final match against Hong Kong 2-0 at the Yeorumul Squash Courts this morning.

Low Wee Wern started the ball rolling with a straight win over Chan Hoo Ling, 11-5, 11-5 and 11-7 in just over half an hour. Individual gold medalist, Nicol David dropped a game against Annie Au but won the next three games to register a 4-11, 11-5, 11-8 and 11-6 win.

Bad Day at the Tracks

Malaysia hopes of adding the third gold through the Men's cycling event were dashed when Azizulhasni Awang was demoted to sixth place due to a technical penalty in the final of his favourite event, the keirin.

The Pocket Rocketman would have won the silver behind Iranian rider, Mohammad Daneshvarkhouram who stole it from the outside leaving Azizul and Japanese Kazunari Watanabe behind.

However it was good news for another Malaysian cyclist, Josiah Ng who suddenly found himself on the podium with a bronze medal.

Other cyclists who took to the track did not fare any better with Fatehah Mustapha finished fourth in the Women's Sprint event while Ju Pha Somnet finished in sixth place of the Women's Omnium.

Earlier in the morning Malaysia added to their silver collection when shooter, Muhammad Ezuan Nasir Khan finished second in the Men's 50m Rifle Prone behind Zhao Shengbo of China.

In badminton, Lee Chong Wei as expected progressed to the next round of the Men 's individual event after winning his match against Pakistan Zeeshan Umar.

At Seonhak Hockey Stadium, Malaysia lost narrowly to host South Korea 2-1 but still remain in contention for a place in the

The Koreans scored all their goals from penalty corners, converted by Nam Hyunwoo while Malaysia replied through a field goal by Muhammad Marhan.

Shooting Silver

Malaysia bagged another silver and a bronze when Nor Suryani Mohamad Taibi finished second in the individual competition and together with her team-mates, Ayuni and Muslifah amassed enough points to get onto the podium in third place in the 50m Air Rifle Shooting event.

In the evening, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang could not add to the medal tally after he lost the Men Sprint individual semi-final race to Japanese rider. In the race for bronze later The Pocket Rocketman began with a win over Chinese cyclist Bao but lost the next two races and missed out.

Malaysian women hockey team meanwhile snatched their first win of the competition when they scored twice through penalty corners to defeat a spirited Thailand side 2-1 at the Seonhak Hockey Stadium.

At the Anyang Hogye Gymnasium, Malaysian women keglers also failed to finish among the medals with the best finisher was Cheah Me Lan in fifth place.

It was also a bad day in sepak takraw when Malaysia lost to Indonesia at the Bucheon Gymnasium.

First Gold Delivered by Cheau Xuen

Malaysia opened their gold account at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea when Tan Cheau Xuen finished first in the women's nanquan and nandao all around event with 19.23 points to her name.

It was an improvement for Cheau Xuen who won the bronze four years ago in Guangzhou but early favourite to win a medal here, Diana Bong failed in achieving her target. Diana who won the gold medal at the Myanmar SEA Games did not perform at her best and was full of errors to finish last out of twelve competitiors.

Indonesian Juwita Niza Wasni won the silver with 19.19 points while the hot favourite to win the gold here, Wei Hong of China could only finish with a bronze after managing only 19.15 points.

Former Asian Games gold medalist, Lin Fan was accredited to being instrumental in shaping Cheau Xuen to come out on top today.

Ashfaq's Brace Put PDRM Through

Premier League champions, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) became the first side to book their place in the 2014 Malaysia Cup competition quarter-finals after posting a 2-1 win over the T-Team Titans.

Maldives striker, Ali Ashfaq scored a brace to help his side overcoming a stiff resistance from a side they thrashed 4-1 on Saturday. 

Ali opened the scoring in this Group D match from the penalty spot after the referee had judged Ahmed Ezrie had been fouled inside the box. Despite his best attempt, The Titans goalkeeper, Mohamad Shahril Sa'ari could not prevent the ball from going past him.

The home side pressed hard for the equaliser but the woodwork conspired against them when at least three attempts made by their players hit the frame of the goal before bouncing out to safety.

Seven minutes into the second half, The Titans striker, Jimmy Mulisa rose the highest to head the ball past the stranded Azizon Kadir who could only watch the ball rolled into his goal.

PDRM scored their winner when a mistake by defender, Mohamad Nuraliff allowed Ali to have a clear run on goal. He easily sidestepped Shahril before slotting the ball home before celebrating his goal with a sommersault.

In another Group D match, Sime Darby FC came back from behind to put a huge dent on Selangor ambition to win the competition for the 33rd time in their history.

The Red Giants gave their supporters something to cheer after the hour mark when Hazwan Bakri found the back of the net.

However, with just fifteen minutes remaining on the clock, Sime Darby equalised through Fahrulrazi Kamarudin. Then seven minutes from time, Mateo Roskam beat Farizal Marlias to earn his side a valuable win in Shah Alam.

In Group B, Terengganu came away with a positive result against Perak in Ipoh after forcing The Bos Gaurus to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw. 

Ahmad Nordin Alias's equaliser two minutes from time denied the home side all three points after they have been leading since the 48th minute when Terengganu defender, Vincent Bikana inadvertly turned the ball past his goalkeeper as he tried to intercept a Mario Tulio low ball into the box.

In Alor Setar, Kedah completed the double over Sarawak in this competition when they scored another injury time goal to win this hot encounter 2-1.

The Crocs shocked the home fans when S.Chanturu opened the scoring in the 21st minute. However, Billy Mehmet levelled things up six minutes after the interval. When the two sides seemed destined to share the points, Syazwan Tajudin scored the winner two minutes into added time.

Pahang Avenge Defeat against Felda

Holders Pahang gained their revenge on the shock home defeat against Felda United on Saturday when they won their return encounter 2-0 at the Selayang Stadium in a Group A match of the 2014 Malaysia Cup competition.

Gopinathan Ramachandra's strike in the 66th minute gave The Elephants the opener before Dickson Nwakaeme wrapped things up two minutes into added time.

The win saw Zainal Abidin's boys continue leading the group after collecting nine points from four matches.

In another group B match at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the home side Lions XII were held to a 2-2 draw by Causeway neighbours, JDT II. Hafiz Sujak gave the home fans something to cheer early on when his strike in the first minute gave them the lead.

However, Yusof Zainal Abidin levelled things up nine minutes later before Lions' former skipper, Shahril Ishak gave his new team the lead in the 65th minute. 

The visitors were looking good for all three points late in the match but Faris Ramli scored six minutes from time to enable the home side to salvage a point.

Meanwhile in group C, Super League champions, JDT continued their fine form with a 5-0 demolition of Pulau Pinang at the Hassan Yunos Stadium, Johor Bahru.

The home side went ahead just after three minutes through Jorge Pereyra Diaz but had to wait until the half hour mark before increasing their lead through Luciano Figueroa. Amri Yahyah added the third seven minutes before the interval.

Figueroa snatched his second nine minutes into the second half before Hariss Harun completed the rout seven minutes from time.

In Kota Bahru, Kelantan were looking good to complete the double over the Armed Forces (ATM) as they entered the last ten minutes of the match with a single goal lead, courtesy of Francis Doe's strike two minutes before half time.

However, Sathianathan Bathumalai's boys did not give up and Juan Manuel Arostegui silenced the home crowd with the equalising goal five minutes from time.

Then two minutes from time, former home fans favourite, Hairudin Omar scored what turned out to be the winning goal for ATM to help them register their first away win of the competition.

...

Pahang Hoping for a Positive Start to their Cup Defence

The 2014 Malaysia Cup competition will begin in earnest today with the holders, Pahang taking on Premier League side, JDT II at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan in Group A.

After a good Super League campaign when they challenged for the title all the way until the last week, The Elephants are keen to start their defence of the cup on the right note.

Head coach, Zainal Abidin Hassan definitely wants to show the he has the capability to bring more glory to Pahang after winning the FA Cup earlier this season.

Premier League side, JDT II would definitely give their best in order to disrupt the home side's plan and it could be an explosive affair given the history between the two states in football in recent times.

Felda United which lost to Pahang in the FA Cup final are equally determined to embark on another good run in the Malaysia Cup. However, they will have to overcome the Lions XII at the Jalan Besar Stadium in order to do that.

With head coach, Irfan Bakti already stating that he has rectified the weaknesses in his team, especially the defence. However, the Lions which had an indifferent season in the Super League will definitely be fired up in front of their home crowd to open their Malaysia Cup campaign on a positive note.

However, the attention of the majority of football fans tonight will be in Johor Bahru where the home side, JDT take on Kelantan in Group C.

After securing the league title on the last day, JDT now under the guidance of former Kelantan head coach, Bojan Hodak look more settled and it would be hard for The Stags to achieve a good result.

However, George Boateng's boys could spring a surprise if their opponents take them lightly. The visitors will be without the service of their Egyptian midfielder, Ahmad Shawky who is still in his country due to personal problems.

Another Group C match will see the Armed Forces taking on Penang in Selayang. Sathianathan Bathumalai boys would not be seen as favourites after their mixed league campaign which suit them better as they will take to the field with no pressure at all.

Many football fans see Premier League side, Penang as nothing more than a spoiler in this group but a good start to their Malaysia Cup campaign could see The Panthers the initiative to be more than that.

Tomorrow Sarawak will host Terengganu in Group B with both teams are equally determined to make their mark in this year's Malaysia Cup campaign.

After being disappointed by Felda United in the last four of the FA Cup, The Crocodiles knew it is essential to do well in the competition in order to satisfy their fans demands of success.

The Turtles on the other hand also know they have to do well, especially after disappointing their fans with an early exit in the FA Cup and inconsistent showing in the league campaign despite having what many describe as an almost dream squad this season.

Kedah on the other hand, are trying to make up for their disappointment of missing promotion to the Super League. They travel to Ipoh to take on Perak which also keen to make up for a bad season which saw them escaping relegation on the last day of the season.

The most successful side in the competition, Selangor will open their Group D campaign in Kuala Terengganu against the relegated T-Team Titans.

Mehmet Durakovic whose side were denied the Super League title on the last day of the season will be looking forward to a successful campaign and a win over the home side will ease them on their way.

The Titans will be quite unpredictable after the departure of Azraai Khor Abdullah just weeks before the start of the campaign. New head coach, Annuar Abu Bakar however his boys already showing improvements during training to give him some confidence of their capabilities.

In the group other match, Sime Darby will take on Premier League champions, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) at the Selayang Stadium. It would be fair to say both sides have equal chances of having a successful Malaysia Cup campaign given their performance in the league this season.


...

Azraai Resigns

The job as a head coach of a football team is synonymous with the term 'the hot seat' as one usually would not stay long with one team for a long period of time.

Whether the reason due to failure to get the right results, not getting on with the fans or simply the management do not want you to continue handling the team anymore.

Last season we saw how T-Team Titans used all kinds of methods to get rid of Peter Butler, this season The Titans were up at it again in getting rid of Azraai Khor Abdullah.

The 62 years old Azraai, who led Kedah to a 'double treble' achievements that cemented his reputation as one of the top head coaches in the country resigned after what he felt as a conspiracy by The Titans management to get him off the team.

He took full responsibility of The Titans relegation to The Premier League but still did enough to see his charges qualifying for this season Malaysia Cup competition by defeating Negeri Sembilan 1-0 in the playoff.

However, when seeing his name being accused of leaving the team in a lurch before the playoff match despite having a verbal agreement from the management to do so, Azraai took it as a sign that he was no longer wanted.

Being a man of principle he decided to resign from his position.

It was most unfortunate as we already began to see his labour with the Titans were beginning to bear their fruits.

It is going to be interesting to see who is next going to fill the Titans hotseat. Whoever he is, it is hoped that he will receive better treatment than his predecessors.

2014 Malaysia Cup Draw

The draw for the 2014 Malaysian Cup was held at the National Sports Council Institute in Bukit Jalil today.

Defending champions and top seed, Pahang are drawn together with Lions XII with two Premier League sides, Felda United and JDT II completing Group A.

In Group B, 2001 winners Terengganu have Borneo team, Sarawak for company together with another Super League side, Perak and Premier League side, Kedah.

Two heavyweights will square off in Group C. Super League champions, JDT and Kelantan will be favourites to advance from the group as the Armed Forces (ATM) and Premier League team, Pulau Pinang are seen as not strong enough to pose a serious threat to the duo.

Meanwhile Selangor will continue with the Mission-33 this season, provided they can get past Sime Darby FC, Premier League champions; the Royal Police (PDRM) and Terengganu club side, T-Team Titans.

The competition is scheduled to start on 13 August.


GROUP A
Pahang
Lions XII
Felda United
JDT II

GROUP B
Terengganu
Sarawak
Perak
Kedah

GROUP C
JDT
Kelantan
Armed Forces
Pulau Pinang

GROUP D
Selangor
Sime Darby FC
Royal Police
T-Team Titans

Wins for T-Team, JDT 2 to Qualify for Malaysia Cup

After the disappointment of relegation to the Premier League on Wednesday, T-Team Titans pulled themselves together to qualify for the 2014 Malaysia Cup competition after winning their playoff match against Negeri Sembilan at the Shah Alam Stadium last night.

The 1-0 win over the team that finished sixth in the Premier League came courtesy of Mohamad Ramzul's strike three minutes from the break.

Joining the east coast club in the competition are the second Johor Darul Takzim (JDT 2) after the Premier League side defeated PKNS FC at the Selayang Stadium.

PKNS FC lost forward, Shahurain Abu Samah due to a red card in the 44th minute. The numerical advantage was immediately bore fruits for JDT 2 when Zaquan Adha scored.

Akmal Ishak doubled the advantage for JDT 2 in the 69th minute before Karlo Primorac pulled one back for PKNS FC three minutes later.

The two sides join the first Johor Darul Takzim (JDT), Selangor, Pahang, Terengganu, Sime Darby FC, Kelantan, Sarawak, Lions XII, Perak and ATM from the Super League while PDRM, Felda United, Pulau Pinang and Kedah from the Premier League.

The teams are seeded according to their respective league positions and the draw will see them grouped into four groups, playing on home and away basis with the group winners and runners-up qualifying to the quarter finals.

The competition is expected to begin right after the 'Aidil-Fitri celebrations.


...

Harimau Malaya Get Dollah Salleh

The successes of Dollah Salleh in bringing titles to his teams for the past couple of seasons has caught the eye of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) when he was named as the new Malayan Tigers head coach.

He won the Malaysia Cup with Pahang last season and took the Royal Police (PDRM) to the Premier League title after leaving The Elephants at the start of this season.

The decision by the national body to appoint the 50 years old Dollah on a two year contract was seen as timely to fill the vacant position as the head coach of the Malayan Tigers after Dato' Rajagobal whose contract was not renewed.

Johor born Dollah pipped two other candidates shortlisted for the post, Germans Wolfgang Sidka and Gert Engels.

His immediate task is to prepare the national team for the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup which is scheduled for November in Singapore and Vietnam.

FAM has line up a few friendly matches to help Dollah in preparing his team with Tajikistan (8 August), Singapore (September 6) and Jordan (October 11) have been confirmed as opponents. Another match is scheduled for November 18 but the opponent is yet to be confirmed.


...

Titans Go Down

After escaping relegation last season on goal difference,  T-Team Titans could not pull it off this time and they are going to play in the Premier League in 2015 together with PKNS FC.

They needed to win their match against the Lions XII last night and with the home advantage Azraai Khor's men should at least get a draw and hoped results from other matches go their way.

However they failed to create enough chance against the visitors who had nothing to play for except for pride.

Missing Leandro Dos Santos from their line up The Titans struggled to create chances with just Patrich Wanggai working his socks off as his strike partner, Jimmy Mulisa spent most of the time running like a headless chicken.

The Titans' defence managed to hold most of The Lions attacks at bay but goalkeeper, Shahril Sa'ari was a bundle of nerves.

He began the second half with an improved performance but a quick counter-attack launched by his counterpart, Izwan Mahbud saw Muhammad Sufian through on goal.

Shahril went out from his area and in his attempt to prevent a goal brought down the Lions midfielder.

Referee Zohri Tajudin did not hesitate in flashing the red card to the goalkeeper, the first in his career. Wan Azrai was sent on to take Shahril's place with Muhammad Ramzul being sacrificed.

The sending off however seemed to motivate The Titans more and there were obvious injection of pace in their play but they just could not create the opening to get to The Lions goal.

Then in the 66th minute they were hit on the break with Khairul Amri setting up the ball for an unmarked Muhammad Faris to slot home past Azrai.

The home side came under more pressure after this and they were clearly unhappy with the Lions players who kept feigning injury to waste time.

In the end The Titans failed in their mission to win this match and when results from other matches came through they found out a draw would be sufficient as the Armed Forces (ATM) were held to a 1-1 draw by Sime Darby FC.

The defeat saw them finished the season level on points with ATM but The Gladiators better goal difference was enough to condemn The Titans to the Premier League next season.

Azraai Khor commented after the match they went down not due to result from this match alone but throughout the season when their performance in some matches deserved more but ended up with nothing.

He pointed out the draws against Perak and Sime Darby FC as examples for his statement.

Azraai stressed out the more important thing now is to motivate his players for the Malaysia Cup playoff against Negeri Sembilan on 28 June to determine whether their season would continue or end at this juncture.

Meanwhile in Kota Bahru, Terengganu staged a late comeback against Kelantan to register their first win over their East Coast rivals at the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium in since 2012.

A brace from Abdul Manaf Mamat cancelled Fakri Saarani and Khairul Izuan strikes in the first half before Norfarhan Mohamad scored the winner against his former team towards the end of the match.

Elsewhere Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) won their first Super League title after winning their match against Sarawak 1-0 at the State Stadium in Kuching.

The big spending JDT proved that money can buy success with a star studded squad that should have sealed the title with ease.

The win in Kuching rendered the result between Selangor and relegated PKNS FC irrelevant.

In Ipoh, Perak ensured their survival in the Super League with a 3-0 win over FA Cup winners,  Pahang.

...

Down to the Wire

The 2014 Malaysian Super League season is coming to an end with just one more round of matches to be played this season.

It is a two horse race to land the title as Super League champions with Selangor trailing league leaders Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) by just a single point.

The Manchester City of Malaysian football, JDT will have to overcome Sarawak in Kuching to secure their first ever league title while The Red Giants are looking to add to their six top tier title they have won prior to this season.

It will be another expensive failure to the team formerly known as Johor FC, if they fail to land the title after assembling a star studded team comprising of local and foreign internationals and former internationals.

Earlier in the season Malaysian football fans were treated to the skills of former Argentina playmaker, Juan Pablo Aimar but his stay in Johor Bahru did not last long as he failed to adapt to the local football scene.

However, JDT continued to climb the table after overcoming early season inconsistencies and a win at the State Stadium over Sarawak will see their fans rejoicing at their first league title.

Failure to do so would see the title coming into Selangor's hands with their fixture against relegated neighbour PKNS FC is widely considered as a mere formality for the three points at stake.

At the other end of the table, fans will have to wait until the end of the final whistle at three venues to know who will accompany PKNS FC in their journey down to the Premier League.

Currently, there are three teams facing the possibility of going down.

Last season champions, the Lions XII are by default would not be relegated if they lose their match against T-Team Titans in Kuala Terengganu which leave them with 25 points.

A win for the Titans meanwhile will see them collecting 27 points which should be enough to guarantee them 8th place. Thus it will depend on the result between Perak against Pahang in Ipoh and the ATM vs Sime Darby FC at Selayang.

Both Perak and ATM are now level on points with each amassing 23 points with the latter having a slightly better goal difference.

It is building up to one of the more exciting end to the Super League season in recent years with questions waiting to be answered on the final day of the season.


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Federal Territory are SUKMA 2014 Champions, Terengganu Second

The Federal Territory emerged as the SUKMA 2014 champions after amassing a total of 55 gold medals, just four ahead of Terengganu which once again had to settle for the runners up spot.

The east coast state which led the medal table for quite some time could not maintain their position in the final days of the meet.

The Federal Territory had athletes from Putrajaya and Labuan representing them alongside those from Kuala Lumpur.

Negeri Sembilan disc thrower, Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin was named the Sportsman of the games after breaking the national record with a throw of 54.25 metres, bettering his previous best of 53.16 metres set at the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar.

Jenilie Empera was the games Sportswoman after the Sarawakian weightlifter broke the SUKMA records in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk events in the above 75kg category.

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Wanggai Sees Red as Titans Hold Selangor in Kuala Terengganu

T-Team Titans Patrich Wanggai went from hero to zero during his team 1-1 draw against Selangor at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu last night.

The Indonesian forward had levelled the score in the 80th minute after they have been trailing since Thamil Arasu put The Red Giants ahead in the 15th minute.

However he reacted to a provocation by Thamil Arasu as the match entered stoppage time and earned himself a red card.

The draw did not do both teams any good as it looked more like two points lost rather than one point gained.

A win would have seen Mehmet Durakovic's men taking over the lead at the top of Super League. The draw meant they only moved up above Terengganu into second place behind Pahang.

For The Titans they failed to further their distance from the relegation zone and now had played one more match than the rest of the teams.


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Elephants Maintain Their Place at the Top of the Super League

Terengganu briefly went back to the top of the Super League after winning their match against Sarawak at the intimidating State Stadium on Friday. However Pahang reclaimed it 24 hours later when they too registered a tough away win in Kuala Terengganu over T-Team Titans.

On Friday, Zairo Anuar Zailani 20th minute strike opened the scoring against the home thing but Rashid Aya levelled things up twelve minutes later.

The Turtles new signing during the transfer window, Moustapha Dabo goot his name on the scoresheet during his first appearance for the team with a goal in the 65th minute before Mohamad Norfarhan completed the scoring five minutes later.

Also on the same day Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) were held by PKNS FC at the Shah Alam Stadium. Attacking fullback Mahali Jasuli scoring for JDT in the 57th minute to cancel Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh opener for the home side twenty minutes earlier.

The next day The Elephants showed their determination to challenge for the Super League title with a 2-0 win over The Titans.

However, they have to wait until the hour mark before managing to break the deadlock as Azraai Khor's men were also determined to get a good result in order to preserve their place in the Super League.

It was The Titans' weakness in dealing with set pieces that led to Matias Conti scoring the first goal and it was the same story when Zesh Rehman added the second a minute before time.

Selangor welcomed back Paulo Rangel to their frontline and the Brazillian brought immediate impact by scoring the only goal of the match against Perak in Ipoh.

Defending champions, Lions XII also recorded an away win, this time at Selayang Municipal Stadium when they overcame home side, Sime Darby FC.

Second half strike by Mohamad Safuwan seven minutes after the restart and another one from Khairul Amri ten minutes later were enough to gave Fandi Ahmad's chargers all three points.

Meanwhile in Kota Bahru, Mohamad Shawky's goal on the hour mark was enough to give the home side, Kelantan all three points in their encounter with the Armed Forces (ATM).


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Stalemate in the East Coast Derby

Terengganu perfect home record in the Super League ended last night after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kelantan at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu.

In front of an almost capacity crowd, Terengganu found themselves trailing after Mohamad Shawky capitalised on hesitant defending by the home side to opened the scoring after sixteen minute.

The Turtles drew level in the 36th minute when Zairo Anuar Zailani blasted home his trade-mark freekick past Khairul Fahmi Che Mat in the Kelantan's goal.

The result saw Terengganu relinquishing their lead to Pahang after Zainal Abidin Hassan's men easily saw off Perak at the Darul Makmur Stadium.

Dickson Nwakaeme put The Elephants ahead just after ten minutes before Gopinathan Ramachandra increased it to 2-0 nine minutes before the break.

Selangor missed the chance to be level with Pahang at the top after they were held to a 2-2 draw by PKNS FC despite the visitors had to play with ten men after Nazmi Faiz's dismissal in the 67th minute.

The score at the time was 1-1 after The Red Giants had gone ahead courtesy of an own goal by Helmi Remeli in the 18th minute. His team-mate, Aminudin Mohamad Noor however put his side level again four minutes later.

Despite being down to ten men, PKNS FC regained their lead in the 72nd minute with Aminuddin second of the match. However, the lead did not last long when Selangor equalised through Afiq Azmi two minutes later.

Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) inconsistencies emerged again after being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Sarawak.

The home side lost goalkeeper, Izham Tarmizi Roslan to an injury and he was replaced by Norazlan Razali. The substitute custodian could do anything eight minutes later when Chanturu's effort gave him no chance.

However the lead did not last long when Luciano Figueroa struck in the 28th minute to level things up. Despite their best effort, JDT once again failed to get all three points at home.

A fighting display by T-Team Titans earned them a point against defending champions, Lions XII at the Jalan Besar Stadium. This was against the backdrop of losing two of their central defenders.

Brazilian Fabio Flor had to be taken off just after four minutes and Marzuki Yusof came in his place. However Marzuki too was taken off during half-time and The Titans played the whole second half with a makeshift defence.

Mohamad Safuwan gave the capacity crowd something to cheer when he found the net in the 24th minute. However, tried as they might the home side could not add to the tally and they were made to pay when Nelson Marcelo curled in a wonderful free-kick in the 63rd minute.

It brought the score to 1-1 and it stayed that way until the final whistle.

The Armed Forces (ATM) which are now struggling at the foot of the table twice went ahead during their match against Sime Darby FC at the Selayang Municipal Stadium.

Bruno Martelotto put them ahead from the penalty spot in the eleventh minute only for Muhammad Arif to equalise for the home side just around the half hour mark.

ATM went ahead again through Juan Manuel Arostegui nine minutes into the second half but five minutes later the score was level again when William Mensah found the net.

Mahmoud Al Amna then emerged as the hero for Sime Darby when he scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the 65th minute.


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First Away Win Enough for Terengganu to Remain First

Terengganu finally recorded their first away win of the season when they beat the Armed Forces (ATM) 3-0 at the Selayang Municipal Stadium last night.

Abdul Manaf Mamat opened the scoring in the 24th minute with Mohamad Norfarhan adding the second in the 71st minute. Faiz Subri added the third as the match was about to go into stoppage time.

The comprehensive win enabled The Turtles to maintain their position at the top of the Super League with sixteen points.

Hot on Terengganu's heels are Pahang and Selangor after both also won their away fixtures.

Dickson Nwakaeme's double and a goal from Fauzi Roslan saw The Elephants easily defeated PKNS FC 3-1 at the Shah Alam Stadium. Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh replied for the home side in the 71st minute.

The Red Giants meanwhile had to face a more challenging task, to win at the State Stadium against the host, Sarawak. However, a strike by Andik Vermanshah in the 24th minute and another goal by Thamil Arasu saw Mehmet Durakovic's boys flying home with all three points.

Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) did the unexpected in Kota Bahru by winning their match against the home side, Kelantan.

Amri Yahyah just after the half hour mark cancelled Muhammad Ghaddar opener in the 17th minute. As both sides seemed to be settling for a draw, JDT scored the winner through Fazly Mazlan three minutes before the end of regulation time.

The win saw JDT moved up to fourth while right behind them are the Lions XII which also grabbed all three points against Perak in Ipoh through Mohamad Safuwan's last minute strike that found the home side's back of the net.

The defeat saw Perak going to the bottom of the standings after T-Team Titans did enough at home to register their third win of the season.

Azraai Khor was a happy man at the final whistle after goals from Evaldo Rodrigues and central defender, Marzuki Yusof were enough to see off Sime Darby FC.

The result moved them to 9th place in the standings with eleven points.


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Terengganu Shocked in Selayang

Terengganu remained winless on their travel in the Super League this season after suffering a 3-2 defeat against Sime Darby FC at the Selayang Municipal Stadium last night.

The defeat however, did not affect The Turtles' position at the top of the standings though there are three other teams with the same point tally as them.

Lowly Sime Darby surprised the visitors when they went ahead in the sixth minute through Nazrul Kamaruzaman. However, Ismail Faruqi equalised for Terengganu in the 23rd minute.

A minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half, Sime Darby went ahead again through Fazrul Hazli. Four minutes after the restart saw Mohamad Farid Ramli scoring the third.

Abdul Rahman Ibrahim's boys pushed forward in order to get something out of this match. However, Sime Darby goalkeeper, Suffian Abdul Rahman stood tall to withstand everything that the visitors threw at him.

He was beaten in the 71st minute by Mohamad Norfarhan but continued to defy the odds to ensure his side second consecutive win after last week victory over Perak in Ipoh.

Pahang defeated Sarawak 3-1 at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan to move into second place.

An own goal by Sarawak defender, Ronny Harun just after the half hour mark gave The Elephants the lead. Two further goals from Damion Stewart and Mohamad Hafiz Kamal cemented their lead while The Crocs replied through Rashid Aya during stoppage time.

In the battle between Selangor and Kelantan at the Shah Alam Stadium, a lone strike by Paulo Rangel in the first half was enough to give Mehmet Durakovic's boys all three points which saw them amassing the same number of points as The Stags.

Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) inconsistencies continued when they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Armed Forces (ATM) at the Hassan Yunos Stadium.

They have to thank substitute Mohamad Safee Sali who scored the equaliser with four minutes remaining after ATM had gone ahead six minutes before the break through Mohamad Riduwan Maon.

In the match between two teams propping the Super League table, T-Team Titans came back from a goal down to tie the score to 1-1, with Muhammad Ramzul heading home the equaliser after Mugenthiran had put the visitors ahead.


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Bikana Strikes Down JDT in KT

Terengganu registered their fourth consecutive home win in the Super League after defeating Johor Darul Takzim 1-0 at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu last night.

Vincent Bikana's goal in the 17th minute was enough to give The Turtles and their fans who thronged the stadium to the max a happy evening, especially the result saw them taking over as the league leaders again.

Previous leaders Kelantan were held to a 2-2 draw by Pahang in an East Coast derby.

The Stags captain, Badhri Radzi put his side ahead just after two minutes but Pahang defender, Saiful Nizam Miswan scored the equaliser eleven minutes later.

Mohamad Faizol Hussin then silenced the home supporters when he found the back of the net in the 70th minute. However the lead did not last long when Khairul Izwan levelled the scoreline ten minutes later.

Attempt by both sides to force a winner failed which saw both head coaches satisfied with the outcome.

Sarawak responded well to their defeat in Kuala Terengganu last week when they beat Lions XII 3-1 at the State Stadium in Kuching.

Chanturu Suppiah opened the scoring on a wet pitch after sixteen minutes. However, the goal was cancelled when the visitors breached Sarawak's goal through through Muhammad Nazrul Ahmad in the 36th minute.

Four minutes later, Chanturu restored his side lead with a fine goal. Then as the match entered it last quarter an hour, Rashid Aya scored to send the stadium into delirium.

The win put Robert Alberts' men in third place.

In Kelana Jaya, T-Team Titans failed to build on their win over Sarawak last week when they lost 3-1 to PKNS FC at the MBPJ Stadium.

Shahrul Azhar Ture who once played for The Titans on loan from Sabah; opened the scoring just after seven minutes. The score was level again in the 19th minute when Titans' forward, Azrul Hazran found the net.

The Red Ants central defender, Helmi Remeli then restored his side lead a minute into added time at the end of the first half. Muhammad Khairu Azrin then ensured all the points for the home side by scoring the third just over the hour mark.

The result saw Azraai Khor's side slipped to the bottom again as Sime Darby FC registered a surprise win over Perak in Ipoh with Mohamad Fazrul Hazli scoring twice in the first half.

Meanwhile in Selayang, Juan Manuel Arostegui scored for both sides as his Armed Forces (ATM) side held Selangor to a 1-1 draw. The Argentine first gave The Red Giants the lead when his attempt to clear a Paulo Rangel header ended up in the net.

However he made amends a while later when he finished off a wonderful pass from Christie Jayaseelan to level the score which stayed the same until the final whistle.


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Kelantan Take Over the Lead

Kelantan took full opportunity of the postponement of the Selangor vs Terengganu match to go back to the top of the Super League by winning their match against defending champions, Lions XII at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The home side, cheered by a capacity crowd at the compact stadium went ahead in the 19th minute through Khairul Amri.

However, The Stags were on level terms again six minutes into the second half when Fakri Saarani found the back of Izwan Mahbub's net. Then a minute into stoppage time, Francis Doe who has a good scoring record at the stadium; scored the winner for Kelantan.

Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) continued their fine form with a 2-0 win over Sime Darby FC at the Selayang Municipal Stadium. Luciano Figueroa broke the deadlock after twenty four minutes before Norshahrul Idlan added the second seven minutes later.

The win put JDT in second place above Terengganu.

Pahang recovered from their defeat in Kuala Terengganu last week to thrash the Armed Forces (ATM) 4-1 at the Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan.

Matias started the ball rolling with a goal on the quarter of an hour mark before Dickson Nwakaeme scored the first of his brace three minutes later.

Mohamad Faizol Hussin made it three ten minutes before the break. Six minutes after the second half started, Nwakaeme added his second to make it 4-0. Juan Manuel Arostegui scored ATM's consolation goal in the 69th minute.

Sarawak came unstuck in Kuala Terengganu when they lost to bottom side T-Team Titans. Two inspired substitutions by Titans' head coach, Azraai Khor proved to be the difference.

Muhammad Ramzul who came on the start of the second half in place of Azlan Ismail made an immediate impact when his shot from outside the penalty area went past Sani Anuar Kamsani in the Sarawak's goal.

Then another substitution six minutes from time saw Badrul Hisham Morris coming on for Nelson Martin. A minute later from an almost identical spot with Ramzul, Badrul unleashed a shot and Sani also could not get his hands on it.

The win lifted The Titans off the bottom but still remained in the relegation zone.

In another match, Perak were held to a 1-1 draw at home by PKNS FC. Eliel Da Cruz gave the home side the lead after six minutes. However, six minutes before the interval Karlo Primorac levelled things up and the score remained until the final whistle.


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Turtles Back at the Top

Terengganu went back to the top of the 2014 Malaysian Super League standings after defeating Pahang 2-0 in Kuala Terengganu last night.

The home side went ahead in the 21st minute when a free-kick by Mario Karlovic deceived the entire Elephants' defence and beat goalkeeper, Khairul Azhan before going into the net.

Midfielder Ismail Faruqi got his name on the scoresheet after he finished a wonderful passing move with twenty minutes to go to ensure The Turtles collecting all three points at stake.

Previous leader Selangor suffered their heaviest defeat this season after going down 4-1 to Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) at the Hassan Yunos Stadium, Johor Bahru.

JDT Singaporean connection, Baihakki Khaizan and Hariss Harun gave the home side a 2-0 lead in the first half before Luciano Figueroa added the third in the 53rd minute.

Former Selangor skipper, Mohamad Fadhli Shas then scored against his former team on the hour mark.

Paulo Rangel scored The Red Giants consolation goal eight minutes later from the penalty spot.

Kelantan ended their two match losing streak with a 3-0 win over T-Team Titans at the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium, Kota Bahru.

Mohamad Shawky and skipper Badhri Radzi both scored in the first half before substitute, Mohamad Ghaddar added the third six minutes from time.

The result saw The Titans remained bottom of the Super League.

A 1-0 win over Perak was enough for Sarawak to maintain their title challenge. Mirolad Janjus scored the all important goal just after eight minutes for Robert Alberts' men.

Defending champions Lions XII recorded their first away win of the season after winning their encounter with the Armed Forces (ATM) 2-1 at the Selayang Stadium.

Afiq Yunos scored the winner a minute into stoppage time for The Lions when the match looked heading for a stalemate. ATM had gone ahead just after four minutes through Amiridzwan Taj but Khairul Amri Kamal levelled thing up two minutes after the break.

In a single match played on Friday, PKNS FC and Sime Darby FC battled through a goalless draw at the MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya.

Selangor Dislodge Terengganu

After the latest round of matches played in 2014 Malaysian Super League, Selangor emerged as the sole leader of the pack after winning their encounter with Sime Darby FC last night at the Selayang Municipal Stadium.

However The Red Giants found themselves trailing as early as the second minute when Mohamad Failee Ghazli put the home side ahead.

Selangor foreign striker, Paulo Rangel continued his scoring form with another brace, levelling the score five minutes before the interval and then scoring the winner with six minutes to go.

Mehmet Durakovic's men are now two points clear of Terengganu and the Armed Forces (ATM). Both teams were held to stalemates on their travel last night.

The Turtles could not find their way through at the Jalan Besar Stadium against defending champions, Lions XII in a goalless match while ATM were moments away from a win at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu against T-Team Titans.

An equaliser a minute into stoppage time by Khairan Ezuan saved a point for Azraai Khor's men as they trailed The Gladiators at the end of the ninety minutes.

The Titans had taken the lead in the seventh minute through Azlan Ismail but Reuben Karthipillay equalised ten minutes before the interval. Bruno Sebastian Marteloto then put ATM ahead on the hour mark and they were looking good for all three points until the intervention by Khairan.

Sarawak continued their surge up the table when they won their match against PKNS FC at the MBPJ Stadium on Friday with their foreign players Mirolad Janjus and Gabor Gyepes scoring in the 2-0 win.

Kelantan suffered their second consecutive league defeat when Perak beat them 2-1 at the Ipoh Stadium.

Ahmad Sukri delighted the home fans with a goal just after twelve minutes but Perak could not add to the score afterwards. Mohamad Shawky then equalised ten minutes into the second half.

With twelve minutes to go, the home fans celebrated again when Khairul Asyraf found the back of the Kelantan's net as he scored what turned out to be the winning goal for his side.

In another match played on Friday, the star studded Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) lost 3-2 to Pahang at the Darul Makmur stadium in Kuantan.

Matias Conti opened the scoring for The Elephants in the 13th minute but both teams headed to the dressing room at the interval level when Pablo Aimar found the net two minutes into stoppage time at the end of the half.

Fauzi Roslan then nudged the home side ahead again with a goal two minutes after the break. However, the score was level again after Safee Salee scored in the 72nd minute.

As the match looked like ending in a draw, Mohamad Hafiz Kamal connected well with a free-kick taken by Azidan Sarudin two minutes into time added on at the end of the ninety minutes to score the winning goal for Pahang.


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Turtles Top of the Table, Titans at the Bottom

Terengganu went to the top of the Malaysian Super League after winning the 'Turtle derby' 2-0 against T-Team Titans. The result also meant The Titans went to the bottom of the table.

Brazilian striker, Marcio Souza put The Turtles ahead two minutes into added time at the end of the first half while Ashaari Shamsuddin added the second a couple of minutes before the hour mark.

Selangor followed closely behind when Paulo Rangel's 66th minute strike was enough for The Red Giants to see off Pahang at the MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya.

The Armed Forces (ATM) and PKNS FC also put themselves on six points with wins over Perak and Kelantan respectively.

Sarawak finally registered their first win of the season when they defeated Sime Darby FC 3-0 at the State Stadium, Kuching.

Their skipper, Joseph Kalang Tie got the ball rolling with a goal in the 11th minute before Gabor Gyepes added to the scoreline two minutes into added time at the end of the first half.

Milorad Janjus ensured there would be no fightback by the visitors when he found the net for The Crocs in the 65th minute.

At the Hassan Yunos Stadium, Johor Bahru the home side Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) threw away a two goal lead against defending champions, Lions XII to draw their match 2-2.

Luciano Figueroa and Pablo Aimar struck in the first half but two goals in a space of three minutes saw the visitors levelling the score through Khairul Amri and Muhamad Hafiz Sujak midway through the second half.


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Titans Slay The Tigers

T-Team Titans sprung the biggest upset of the new season when they defeated star-studded Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) 1-0 at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu last night.

Patrich Wanggai headed the ball home in the 71st minute from a set piece.

The last eighteen minutes of the match saw JDT trying to level things up but the home defence, led by Fabio Flor withstood everything The Southern Tigers threw at them, giving Azraai Khor his first win as Titans head coach.

The day of upsets was not just in Kuala Terengganu as in Selayang, Sime Darby FC also got the better of Malaysia Cup champions, Pahang with Mahmoud Al Amna playing a prominent part in the 1-0 win.

Fahrul Razi notched the winner five minutes after the start of the second half.

Terengganu were nearly safe in Ipoh as their match against Perak entered time added after the full ninety minutes had been played with the score stood at 0-0.

However Eliel Da Cruz had other ideas and his goal during the added time proved to be the winner and gave Perak their first win of the season.


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Terengganu Open the Season with a Win

Terengganu opened their 2014 Malaysian Super League campaign with a 2-1 win over PKNS FC at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu.

However the home fans were shocked when Hamka Hamzah put the visitors ahead in the eighteen minutes.

The lead did not last long. The Turtles' Mamadou Barry levelled the score four minutes later. Barry found the net once again in the 66th minute and it proved to be the winner.

Earlier in the afternoon, T-Team Titans despite holding the much fancied Selangor at bay for most of the match, ended up losing 2-0 to the home side at the MBPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya.

Former Perak striker, Paolo Rangel scored a brace in the 65th and 72nd minutes as The Red Giants handed Azraai Khor a losing start to his tenure as the head coach of The Titans.

Big spending Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) defeated Perak 2-0 at the Hassan Yunos Stadium with Amri Yahya and Luciano Figueroa getting their names on the scoresheet.

Marlon Alex James began this season where he left off last season, that is scoring goals. The Bermudan striker needed just fifteen minutes to find the Sarawak net before Christie Jayaseelan added the second eleven minutes before the interval.

At the Sultan Mohamad IV Stadium in Kota Bahru, the home side two foreign players, Mohamed Shawky and Mohamad Ghadar found the net to ensure The Stags getting the three points after Mohamad Fadzli had given the visitors, Sime Darby FC the lead just after seven minutes.


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