Defending stoutly: KL’s Declan Lambert (left) intercepts a pass by Buriram’s Lucas Crispim during their Asean Club Championships group match at the Chang Arena on Thursday. — KL City FC
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur’s journey in the Asean Club Championships has ended sooner than expected but defender D. Kenny Pallraj believes they still left a lasting impression.
Kenny is proud of how his teammates have stayed solid despite facing some off-field adversities after the City Boys lost 0-1 to Thai giants Buriram United at the Chang Arena in Buriram on Thursday, thus ending their campaign at the group stage.
A 37th minute goal by Brazilian striker Lucas Crispim dashed KL’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals after they finished fourth in Group B with six points.
KL had targeted to reach their fourth straight final, a streak that started in 2021 when they won the Malaysia Cup.
They also finished runners-up in the 2022 AFC Cup and the FA Cup the following season.
Kenny, who as sweeper played a key role in restricting Buriram to just one goal, did not feel like a loser after the final whistle - and neither, he insisted, should his teammates.
“I’m proud of how the team have coped with the problems we’re facing. We also had injuries and suspensions to deal with. But we showed character to contain a top side like Buriram from scoring more,’’ said the 31-year-old Kenny.
“To travel there in Thailand and take the game to them on their home ground was tough. We must keep up this spirit despite the issues that have impacted us.’’
In the Super League, KL are ninth with 18 points from 17 games.
They would be doing much better if not for a six-point deduction in August due to inaccuracies in the club’s documentation and also submitting incorrect information regarding their contributions to LHDN, EPF and Perkeso.
The team have also been suspended from regional competitions from the 2025-2026 season onwards.
Kenny, however, believes those setbacks should not be an excuse for the players not to perform to the best of their abilities.
“We have a packed schedule with a lot of away matches coming up in the league. We have to keep ourselves fit for the fight and we must also think about delivering good results for the fans.
‘’As we won’t be playing in regional competitions from now on, we must channel our energies into doing well on the domestic stage.”
