Coach turns Turtle
Irfan quits after Terengganu’s poor results
PETALING JAYA: Terengganu coach Irfan Bakti (pic) has resigned following the team’s poor results in the Super League.
The 3-5 loss to Super League debutants PJ City after the Turtles squandered a 3-0 lead at the Sultan Ismail Stadium in Kuala Terengganu on Tuesday was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Terengganu were knocked out of the FA Cup quarter-finals 2-5 aggregate on May 10 after losing the second leg 0-4 to Pahang. They won the first leg 2-1 on May 1.
Terengganu Football Association (TFA) secretary general Datuk Tengku Farouk Husin Tengku Abdul Jalil said the team’s assistant coach Mohamad Nafizi Zain will fill in as the interim coach until a suitable candidate is appointed.
“We had a special meeting between the entire coaching line-up and the team management on Wednesday to identify the team’s weaknesses following the embarrassing defeat to PJ City on home turf,” he said.
“Irfan submitted his resignation letter in the meeting and after due consideration, the TFA have agreed to accept out of respect for him.
“The Terengganu football fraternity should not forget his contributions since 2011.
“We’re confident about Nafizi’s capability to lead the team as the caretaker coach and we hope he’ll be able to help the team.”
In 2011, Irfan led Terengganu to the FA Cup and also finished runners-up in the Malaysia Cup and Super League to help the East Coast side qualify for the AFC Cup for the first time in 2012.
The 68-year-old coach took charge of the team for the second time in 2017, guiding them to a second-place finish in the Premier League and winning promotion to the Super League for the 2018 season.
The team also finished runners-up in the Malaysia Cup last year.
Tengku Farouk also refuted allegations that the team’s poor performance is due to salary issues and called for the fans to continue supporting the team.
“We strongly deny the allegations and we’ve always ensured the well-being of the players.
“The support from the fans is what we need right now to help the team bounce back in the remaining matches,” he said.