KL in no rush to sign Asean import
AFTER failing in attempts to sign a defender from Indonesia and Singapore, Kuala Lumpur coach Fabio Maciel is content to start the season with four import players.
Maciel was far from happy after Singapore’s Baihakki Khaizan chose to turn his back on KL to accept a late offer from Thai club Muangthong United, who will face Super League champion Johor Darul Ta’zim in an AFC Champions League qualifier on Jan 23.
An earlier bid to sign Indonesian defender Achmad Jufriyanto was scuppered by opposition from within the Indonesian FA.
Maciel said he has enough quality in the squad he has at the moment and sees no need to fill KL’s Asean quota if the right player cannot be found.
“We have to find someone who can add value to our team. But I find I prefer local players because I am here to help develop Malaysian football and there are quality players here,” said Maciel yesterday.
“At this moment, we are in no rush to bring in an Asean import. If we find somebody good, then we will bring him here. If not, we will wait for the second window.”
KL’s only new foreign signing is midfielder Junior Aparecido, who joins fellow Brazilians Guilherme De Paula and Paulo Josue and Uzbek defender Boburjon Akbarov in the squad.
As KL prepare to leave for a four-team invitational tournament in Yogyakarta on Monday, Maciel said he will keep an eye out for local talent to add to his group.
“In this group, I have quality players,” said the Brazilian who led KL to the Premier League title last year. “I won’t bring a player here just to fill a spot.
“I want quality players, if not I will work with local players. Even though the season is going to start soon, I still hope to find a defender.
“I will look in the next two weeks for a local defender and we will see what we can do.”
KL will mark their return to the Super League after an absence of five years with a match against Klang Valley derby rivals Selangor on Feb 4 at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium. Devinder Singh