Kafa striving to sign foreign imports

KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan Football Association (KAFA) will strive to sign a few foreign players to strengthen the team for next season's Premier League despite the strict conditions set by the Malaysian Football League (MFL).

KAFA president Bibi Ramjani Ilias Khan said they had arranged a series of pre-season friendlies with local sides to test the Kelantan team's capabilities.

“Several foreigners will also be tested before we offer them contracts for the new season,” she said when contacted yesterday.

KAFA were set strict conditions by the MFL due to the RM500,000 salary arrears owed to former technical directors Alfredo Gonzales and Dramane Traore.

Bibi Ramjani, however, said they had yet to receive anything official regarding the conditions set by MFL.

“So, based on several factors, we need to appeal (against the conditions set), among them being the two foreign imports who joined us under our sponsors.

“We hope they will accept our appeal to ensure Kelantan will also have foreign imports like the other teams and we are also working on settling our old debts,” she said.

The two foreign players KAFA have already signed are Japan's Suzuki Yuta and Brazil's Cassio Francisco de Jesus, who has been retained for another season.