KUALA LUMPUR: Could this be the turning point for Kuala Lumpur? Now placed bottom in the Super League, the city lads are desperate to climb out of the relegation zone but are optimistic of better days with the inclusion of two foreign players — Lebanese striker Zakaria Charara and Ghanaian defender Emmanuel Okine.
However, KL received a boost of confidence after edging Premier League outfit Police 2-1 in a friendly match recently. The lads seem optimistic as they take on Kedah in a Super League match at the Hang Jebat Stadium tomorrow but KL coach Razip Ismail (pic) believes it is too soon to tell if his new imports could make an impact with the team.
“It will also depend on whether we can sort out their registration with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) in time before the match due to the public holidays (Maulidur Rassul and Thaipusam),” said Razip.
“There were some positive signs in the the match against Police. There was better understanding among the players but it is still too early to speak about the new players.”
Razip said Charara and Okine seemed to gel well with the other players. “The boys have played and trained with Charara even before our Police match. It was their first time with Okine and he was quite commanding at the back. With better understanding among the other defenders, I'm sure we'll be able to strengthen the backline.”
Even if KL are unable to register the two foreign players in time for their match against Kedah, Razip believes the all-local cast should secure three points from the Canaries.
The Kedahans are also in a vulnerable position, placed second last with only two points from five matches.
The Kedah FA have received the wrath of the fans who demanded the sacking of team manager Datuk Khazali Din. Kedah's Brazilians players Daniel Soares Neves and Danilo Rafael Dos Santos Vivaldo were given the boot while acting coach Nidzam Adzha quit the team due to the poor results.
“This has to be our turning point. We cannot afford to lose any more points. No coach or team want to start the league with a string of losses.
“I can't expect much from the boys as we are worlds apart from some of the best teams in the league, including Kelantan. But we can't think too lowly of ourselves either and need to make use of opportunities out there and that includes stealing points from Kedah.
Razip also added the current priority is to stay away from the relegation zone and make the cut for the Malaysia Cup.
“No point talking about finishing among the top five. Let's be realistic. I just hope we'll not be relegated and that the team will qualify for the Malaysia Cup. That itself will be an achievement for us,” he said.
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