The Shah Alam Stadium that is currently under renovation is expected to be fully operational in the Malaysia Super League (MSL) match between Selangor and Kedah on April 5.
Selangor Football Association manager Amirudin Shari is certain that the process of replacing the field with ‘cow grass’, which costs about RM200,000, will be completed on March 19.
“We are not just planting grass, but also replacing the soil below the grass with ‘cow grass’ to strengthen the roots when planting the grass,” he said as quoted by Sinar Harian.
The home of the Red Giants was temporarily closed since last December.
Amirudin Shari commented that his side will face a couple of challenges along the way to take care of the grass due to the extremely hot weather. He added that the Selangor FA are in the process of improving the lighting system in the stadium, from 1,200 lux to 2,000 lux.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
The last time Selangor played in the Shah Alam Stadium, they defeated Kedah 2-0 to clinch the Malaysia Cup in December. This season, they have been asked to use the Selayang Stadium in all of their home matches, including pre-season friendlies, MSL and the AFC Cup. They have only played two official matches at the Selayang Stadium this year, winning 4-2 against Datuk Rajagopal’s Terengganu and succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Tampines Rovers. The next time Selangor participate in a football match (excluding today’s AFC Cup tie against Sheikh Jamal), they will be facing Tan Cheng Hoe’s Kedah at the Shah Alam Stadium. How ironic, isn’t it?
To be completely fair, for a club coming from the Premier League, The Red Hawks have not been bad at all this season. They are currently sixth in the MSL after collecting eight points from a possible 15 (2 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss), making them level on points with Datuk Seri Vida’s Kelantan. They will face Sabah in the first leg of the Superbest Power FA Cup quarter-final this Friday, before facing them at the Darul Aman Stadium in April. Selangor should be wary of the likes of Liridon Krasniqi, Baddrol Bakhtiar, Sandro and Carlos Eduardo, who can all cause the home team a few problems.
One thing’s for sure, it will be a fantastic match.
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