Kelantan Bag Sumbangsih Cup

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Kelantan started their Premier League season with a 2-0 victory over Selangor and bagged the Sultan Ahmad Shah Cup at the Shah Alam Stadium Saturday night.

This is a good start for their new coach, Datuk M. Karathu, who began training The Red Warriors just days before.

Karathu took over from B. Sathianathan, who is currently serving a six-month suspension by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Kelantan lived up to its name and went for the jugular in the very first minute by winning a freekick but the ball went wide.

However, a goal by last year's best player, Mohd Nurul Azwan Roya following a penalty in the seventh minute sent the 25,000 crowd on their feet. A Selangor player, Razman Roslan, was earlier given the yellow card for a foul on Mohd Nurul Azwan Roya.

It was a balanced game in the second half with both sides launching relentless attacks but the match was somewhat marred by a five-minute halt when fans hurled objects and fireworks into the field.

In the 82nd minute, however, the stadium erupted in jubilation as the crowd cheered a goal from a freekick taken by Mohd Badhri Md Radzi.

It was too late for Selangor. Despite their best effort to turn the game in their favour, the scoreline remained until the final whistle.

Among those present to watch the match were the two FAM deputy presidents Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who is also the Kelantan Football Association president, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and FAM secretary-general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad.

The man of the match went to Kelantan goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat.

-- BERNAMA

"Go More Kelate Go More"