KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Kelantan FC are out of the Super League for the 2024-2025 season, after the Malaysian Football League (MFL) rejected the club’s appeal for a National License.

MFL Club Licensing Appeal Body (AB) chairman Mohamad Yasin Abdullah said the decision was made in yesterday’s meeting, in accordance with Article 3.4.4 contained in the MFL Club Licensing Regulations 2023 Edition.

"The decision was announced to the team today through an official notification, thus will see Kelantan not eligible to play in the 2024-2025 Super League competition,” he said in a statement.

The East Coast club had earlier submitted an appeal to the AB following the decision of the First Instance Body (FIB) which had rejected the National License application due to financial problems.

On January 1, FIB chairman Sheikh Mohd Nasir Sheikh Mohd Sharif announced that Kelantan will not be eligible to compete in the 2024-2025 Super League after failing to obtain a National License before the deadline (December 31, 2023).

The decision was made after the failure of The Red Warriors (TRW) to meet the two Financial Criteria under sub-criteria F.04 and sub-criteria F.11 before the deadlines set on Nov 30 and Dec 31 respectively.

The Financial Criteria under sub-criteria F.04 refers to No Payables Overdue To Employees, IRB, EPF, Socso & EIS — until June, while sub-criteria F.11 regarding No Payables Overdue Towards Employees, IRB, EPF, Socso & EIS — until August.

TRW, mired in financial problems, finished at the bottom of 2023 Super League among the 14 competing teams with eight points after losing 22 matches and picking up two wins and a draw. — Bernama