PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have alternative venues in mind if the Bukit Jalil National Stadium field isn’t adequate for the clash between Malaysia and Oman for the 2026 World Cup-Asian Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
FAM president Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said the final decision would be made after his team visits the stadium this week following Ed Sheeran’s concert at the venue on Saturday (Feb 24).
“If the condition of the field is not up to par, then we will move the fixture to another venue. We still have to assess the pitch’s condition despite the precautions that have been taken,” he said.
Hamidin said the next best options was to play the match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, or the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.
“Those are among the best options we have because for head coach Kim Pan-gon, a good pitch quality is something that he wants,” said Hamidin.
According to the Stadium Board (PSM), they had taken precautions by moving 1,900 square metres of grass from the field to accommodate the stage and audio system tower for Sheeran’s concert.
But the issue of a damaged field was previously a hot topic after UK Band Coldplay’s concert last year had damaged the pitch, affecting the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta’zim and Terengganu.
