PETALING JAYA: Kelantan City delivered the shock of this year’s FA Cup, proving that A1 Semi-Pro League sides can more than hold their own against Super League opposition.
The division two side battled both their opponents and the elements to beat Negri Sembilan 2-0 in the first leg of the last 16 stage at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru on Wednesday.
Midfielder Ahmad Nazri opened the scoring in the eighth minute before Nigerian striker Emmanuel Uzochukwu doubled the lead with a counter-attack finish in the 84th, sealing a famous win under torrential rain that arrived midway through the contest.
Kelantan assistant coach from Brazil, Wanderley Machado, who fielded post-match questions in place of coach Alfredo Gonzales due to his command of Bahasa Melayu, credited the result to his players’ hunger to prove themselves at a higher level.
“We are truly pleased because our boys showed they deserved to compete at this level.
“It’s not about who is in division one or two – I’m proud because they showed a positive spirit today that was missing in our previous matches,” said Machado.
He added that both goals stemmed directly from work done on the training ground under Alfredo.
“This game proved the value of that work during training, and we want to maintain this level through strong motivation and clear communication.”
Machado also insisted the sudden downpour worked in his side’s favour rather than against it, noting that Kelantan had trained in wet conditions as part of their preparation.
He was careful not to get ahead of himself, with Kelantan’s next assignment against Manjung in the A1 Semi-Pro League tomorrow before attention turns to the second leg at Negri Sembilan’s daunting Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium fortress in Paroi on Tuesday.
“We have four matches in 10 days, so managing player fitness is a challenge. This Cup result is positive, but Negri are a big team with quality players. We must stay grounded.”
Negri Sembilan coach Daniel Gimenez was magnanimous in defeat, taking personal responsibility for the result rather than pointing to a congested fixture list or the weather.
“Kelantan played much better than us and deserved the win. We were perhaps too confident, or didn’t show the opponent the respect they deserved,” Gimenez said.
“If there is anyone to blame, it is not the players – it is me. I am responsible for the line-up and how we played.”
The Spaniard added that basic errors, rather than the conditions, had cost his side.
“The weather is part of the game – we either adapt or don’t. We simply were not good enough during the game.”
