KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — Pahang head coach Dollah Salleh hopes the Pahang Football Association (PBNP) will make an appeal to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) on the participation of the Tok Gajah squad in the Asian Football Confederation Cup (AFC) next season.
The 54-year-old head coach said his players have their own qualities to give the edge to other teams in the AFC Cup campaign.
“It is up to the PBNP president (Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah) whether he wants to appeal to FAM and leave the decision to the management,” he said at a media conference after the FA Cup final at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here last night.
Pahang qualified to play in the AFC final after emerging as the FA Cup champion with a 2-0 victory over Selangor at the final at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium last night.
For the record, FAM barred Pahang from competing in the AFC Cup competition until 2020 following the refusal of the squad to represent the country in the AFC Cup this season.
Dollah also praised the Tok Gajah squad for giving their best performance at the FA Cup final even though the National Stadium was not filled up with spectators due to the World Cup fever affecting Malayians at the moment.
Sharing Dollah’s sentiment was Pahang skipper, Matthew Davies who was delighted in winning the FA Cup trophy, adding that Selangor gave them a run for the money in the match.
“It’s a massive relief for me, having lost to Kedah 2-3 in the FA Cup final last year besides winning silver medal in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games,” said the Aussie-born defender.
Meanwhile Selangor coach Muhammad Nazliazmi Mohamad Nasir conceded that the nerves and lack of experience of the Red Giants’ young players in their maiden match in the final and efficacy of its defence were among the reasons they were defeated. — Bernama
