Kuala Lumpur eyeing title after promotion
NOW that Kuala Lumpur have ended a five-year wait to return to the Super League, the city team’s goalkeeper Kamarul Effandi Rahim urged his teammates to put the cherry on the cake by lifting the Premier League title.
It has been 17 years since KL won any description of silverware with the Charity Cup in 2000 being the last addition to their trophy cabinet.
Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Sabah in Selayang sealed promotion to the Super League, alongside Terengganu, who trail KL on goal difference with both on 47 points and one game left to play.
KL travel to Pasir Gudang to face Darul Ta’zim II in their final fixture on Oct 27 needing only to match Terengganu’s result against Perak SEDC on the same day to finish as Premier League champions.
“Everyone is on the moon at the moment and the coach always tells us to play as a team, and win or lose as a team,” said Kamarul, 30, after keeping a fifth cleansheet in 10 appearances this season.
“We are a family and there is no problem in the team. Now that we are in this position (top of the league), we should try to finish as best as we can. Hopefully that means becoming champions.”
Since the appointment of Brazilian coach Fabio Maciel in April, KL have won 12 of their last 13 league matches with the exception of a 2-1 home defeat by Terengganu.
Against Sabah, KL showed their predatory instincts as Guilherme De Paula scored twice off their only shots on target in the game to take his season tally to 29 goals.
“Whichever team which faces KL always give more than 100 per cent,” said former Perak and Sime Darby keeper Kamarul, who pulled off four crucical saves to preserve KL’s lead.
“Just like when we faced UiTM (the previous week), we had to play even harder than against Sabah and thankfully we worked together as a unit and won this game.”
Maciel said gaining promotion to the Super League was the team’s main target but vowed not to let the chance to win silverware slip by.
“We know our responsibility,” he said. “Going to the Super League is super important, which is the first objective. Second objective now is to fight for the title.
“We have a month before the last game and I will give the players a bit of break because they might lose a bit of focus if we just continue training.
“Now we will celebrate first, rest and then when we return to training we will focus on the last game.” Devinder Singh