08 Jan `Ignorance’ proves costly for Kelantan

DESPITE a three-month break, officials appointed by the FAM found the Sultan Mahmud Stadium field in Kota Baru unmarked and grass uncut for the Malaysian Super League (MSL) match between KL Plus FC and Kelantan on Jan 3. The FA of Malaysia competitions committee, which met at Wisma FAM yesterday, thus awarded the match to KL Plus 3-0. Yesterday’s meeting was chaired by Datuk Che Mat Jusoh, and the competitions committee deliberated long and hard on the report submitted by the referees inspector and match commissioner before reaching their decision. “We went through the report and studied it before making the decision.It is important that states and clubs follow all the technical rules and regulations,” said Che Mat.

While FA of Malaysia only mentioned that the win was awarded based on a technical default, it was learnt from reliable sources that the stadium’s field was unmarked and the grass overgrown. “I am not here to reveal the finding,” added Che Mat. The Kelantan Amateur Football Association (KAFA) is expected to appeal the decision but it is unlikely that FAM will budge from its decision. With this `gifted’ win KL Plus, newcomers to the MSL, are in third place with six points. They edged Terengganu 2-1 on Tuesday at the KLFA Stadium.