PETALING JAYA: Kedah’s defensive crisis will soon be a thing of the past, says their wingback Ariff Farhan Md Isa.
Ariff’s statement may come as a surprise, especially after South Korean centreback Jang Suk-won’s departure from the club on mutual consent due to a severe injury.
In the Super League, the Canaries have conceded a whopping 17 goals from nine matches. Kedah and Sarawak United are the two clubs currently with the worst defensive record in the league.
Kedah are now fourth in the league with 14 points.
Many blamed the club’s defensive frailties on Suk-won’s performance, but not many knew that the 33-year-old had been playing with an injury.
But Ariff said the blame should not be pinned on one single player – instead, every defender in the team should also answer for the goals conceded.
He believes their issues will be resolved when they start their AFC Cup campaign on June 24 in Bali, Indonesia.
“In defence, everybody has their role. We can’t blame everything on Suk-won. I’ve made mistakes too,” said the 25-year-old, who has also played for the national team before.
“There are four main guys to defend. Everyone has their role. If a goal is conceded, we have to ask ourselves why we didn’t act as a unit,” he said.
“It’s a collective thing that we have to work on. The international break has come at a good time. We are making sure to rectify the wrongs we have done.
“We want to bounce back in the AFC Cup and carry that momentum when the Super League resumes.”Kedah are in Group G of the AFC Cup with Indonesian club Bali United, Filipino side Kaya-Iloilo and Cambodian outfit Visakha.
Besides resolving their defensive issues in training, Kedah are rumoured to have dipped their hands into the second transfer window, with the emphasis on replacing Suk-won and also Thai striker Dennis Buschening, who is out with a long-term injury.
It is learnt that the club are close to sealing the deal with Melaka centreback Akmal Zahir, and another candidate to replace Suk-won could be from the middle east.
Many are being linked, but the one that seems to be on the management’s radar is Lebanese centreback Nour Mansour.
Mansour, who has 62 caps with Lebanon, currently plies his trade for Ahed, a top division club in his country. If a move materialises, the 32-year-old will be joining Kedah on loan.
Ariff hopes that whoever comes in will be able to assimilate into the team and help Kedah be contenders again.
“Whoever is replacing Jang, I hope he can offer something different to our game and bring stability to our defence. We need to bounce back for the rest of the games in our league and also make an impact on the continental stage.”
