Kelantan go from red to pink, thanks to Vida Beauty

KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan are ready to go pink as they bid to get back among the big five in the Super League this season.

With Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd having inked a two-year deal worth RM16mil with the Kelantan Football Association (KAFA), the stage is set for Kelantan to become the first team in Malaysian history to don pink jersey when the Super League season begins on Feb 13.

And Vida Beauty founder Datuk Seri Dr Hasmiza Othman has big plans in store for the Red Warriors, saying she’s in it to win it.

“It’s for the love of the sport. I am serious and have plans to generate more income for KAFA,” she said at the sponsorship signing ceremony at the Medan Mara building here.

Not only will the Kelantan players be wearing pink jerseys, their home venue – Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru – will also be painted in the same colour.

Among the big plans Dr Hasmiza has in mind is to go to great clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea to have a first-hand look at how they are run.

With such a huge sponsorship in the bag, KAFA president Tan Sri Annuar Musa is confident the Red Warriors are ready to end their two-year title drought.

“I was in a real fix after our dismal outing last season. That was the first time in my seven years in KAFA that our accounts were in deficit ... by the millions. So, when the tie-up with Vida Beauty Sdn Bhd came along ... it was like a promise of a second wave for Kelantan football. It promises a new environment and atmosphere for the fans.”

With cash to splash, KAFA are bent on getting the best players and are in the market for two more foreign pros.

They already have last year’s Golden Boot winner Dramane Traore in the bag while retaining the services of Australian defender Jonathan McKain.

Thirty-three-year-old Malian hotshot Traore, who scored 20 goals for Police last season, is expected to arrive on Saturday for medical tests.

Kelantan have also secured the services of Terengganu striker Abdul Manaf Mamat and their former players – striker Indra Putra Mahayuddin and defender Daudsu Jamaluddin.

Those from the 2012 treble winning squad who are still with the team are skipper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Mohd Shahrizan Ismail (goalkeepers); Mohd Farisham Ismail, Nik Shahrul Azim, Zairul Fitree Ishak, Muhd Faim Zainal Abidin (defenders); Mohd Badhri Radzi, Mohd Khairul Izuan Rosli (midfielders); and Mohd Norfarhan Mohd (striker).

Last year, Kelantan finished as FA Cup runners-up after losing to Lions XII 3-1 in the final.

They also finished a dismal ninth in the Super League and failed to get past the group stage in the Malaysia Cup competition.

But with their finance in the pink of health, things are looking good for Kelantan.