The Malaysian Super League returned with bang last week, with most games churning out plenty of drama and excitement; but the fun doesn’t stop there! Believe it or not, after what appeared to be a long week, we’re new heading into Matchday Two of the season, where several exciting ties are in store for local football fans within the country.
We’ll start off with the game that has been postponed to Sunday; Kelantan vs LionsXII. The East Coast state lost an incredible political and religious leader on Thursday night. Datuk Nik Abdul Naziz, who is fondly known as Tok Guru within the state of Kelantan, passed away and as a result, the Kelantan FA and FAM have decided to postpone the game to Sunday, as a sign of respect for his passing. As for the tie in itself, expect nothing less than explosives. LionsXII surprised many by securing an emphatic 5-3 win over PDRM in their opening fixture, while Kelantan completed a routine 2-0 rout of ATM. The Red Warriors have lost Brendan Gan for the rest of the season after he picked up an injury, but rest assured, they will be fielding their strongest XI. With home fans backing them after an emotional week, LionsXII could be in for a tough encounter.
Meanwhile, Pahang will be hosting Selangor FA in a clash between two wounded giants. The War Elephants lost 2-0 to Johor DT in the opening game, while the Red Giants fell to Terengganu with the exact score line. And considering that there’s a wealth of impeccable talent within both sides, odds are certainly expecting this match to be an entertaining affair. Pahang have not played in a match in two weeks now, so it remains to be seen if that would take its toll, but either way, Selangor have got issues to address as well. Mehmet Durakovic urged fans to be patient with Guilherme de Paulo, who will be keen on opening his Selangor account on Saturday.
Perak will be travelling to Paroi to face ATM with Abdulafees Abdulsalam set to face his old side. While B. Sathianathan’s side fell to a 2-0 defeat against Kelantan in their opening fixture, one must not doubt their credentials of doing well, considering that they possess an attacking trio that’s made up of Abdulafees, Norshahrul and Jerry Palacios. Perak’s defence certainly lacks experience and ATM’s offensive department will be determined to take advantage of that. But with an experienced head coach in the form of Datuk M. Karathu at helm for the Seladangs, the match will be nothing but a close fight.
PDRM will be hosting Johor DT in what appears to be a one-sided battle. The Southern Tigers will visibly head into this one as massive favourites, and additionally, they’ll be keen on getting back to winning ways following their defeat to Bangkok Glass in midweek. PDRM, despite having a decent squad, were given a footballing lesson by LionsXII last week and it remains to be seen if they have regrouped in time for this herculean challenge.
Sime Darby will be hosting Felda United in a clash between two club sides in the Super League. The hosts fell 2-0 against Perak and while they will be determined to bounce back, Felda United will be no pushovers. Some still say they deserved to win last week, and their forwards; Edward Wilson and Ndumba Makeche are already showing signs of what could potentially be a potent partnership. If they hit top form this weekend, expect things to get a tad too delicate for Ismail Zakaria and his troops.
Sarawak FA will host Terengganu FA, who are keen to continue stamping their authority as title challengers. The Crocs got their season off to a decent start after their 3-3 draw against Felda United and they will also be heading into this one full on confidence, considering that they have a decent track record on home soil. But with Rangel and Gustavo Lopez on fiery form, Robert Alberts certain has to prepare his players diligently in order to secure their first win of the season.
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