Rovers show title credentials in Rangers rout
KUALA Lumpur Rovers laid down a marker as a serious contender for the M3 League title this season with a 4-0 rout of Kijang Rangers when the thirdtier competition kicked off on Saturday.
With a mixture of experienced Super League campaigners and KL City's former Under-21 players, Rovers coach Shukri Ismail has assembled a team set to strike fear into rivals for promotion to next year's Premier League.
The handsome Group B win at the KLFA Stadium in Cheras means Rovers maintained their 100 per cent record after winning their opening two matches in 2020 before the competition was abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the ease of the victory, Shukri lambasted his players for their lackadaisical attitude after taking a 2-0 lead with just four minutes gone.
“Overall, I'm pleased that we won as we planned, but I'm not happy with the attitude of the players after we took an early 2-0 lead,” said Shukri, who previously led KL’s President's Cup side.
“It is a common problem among Malaysian footballers that when they are leading comfortably they change their attitude.
“I told the players at half-time, if they took this attitude into the second half, they would lose.”
Rovers, who led 3-0 at halftime, responded to Shukri's warning by adding a fourth goal through Amir Hafiz Noor in the 72nd minute.
Earlier, they ripped Rangers apart in the opening minutes with two quickfire goals through Faizal Hafiq Omar and Nur Iqmal Harun before Fikri Mohamed Shah added a third on the stroke of half-time, minutes after the visitors' lost Haikal Musyrif Samri
to a red card.
While Rovers are eyeing the title and promotion this season, the long-term plan for the club is to be turned into a reserve team for KL City, as the two clubs are owned by KLFA.
“Of course, we want to win the title to lay the ground for turning this club into a feeder side for the Super League team. We must have a strong team to do so because there is no point in being a feeder team if we finish eighth,” said Shukri.
Shukri is leveraging his experience from leading Kuantan to the FAM League title in 2014, ironically by edging KL to victory, in guiding Rovers.
He has brought his former Under-21 players such as Afiq Ahmad Razali, Amirul Nizam Azmi, Hadi Mizei, Faizal and Fikri to Rovers and added the experience of former KL stalwarts Hisyamuddin Shaari, Firdaus Faudzi and Azreen Zulkafali.
RESULTS
Group A — ATM 3 Sains 0, Tun Razak City 1 FC Langkawi 1, Ultimate 1 Kinabalu Jaguar 0, Manjung City 3 Immigration 1.
Group B — Bukit Tambun 1 Harini 1, PIB 3 Tok Janggut 1, Real Chukai 0 Perlis United 0, Respect 0 BRM 2, KL Rovers 4 Kijang Rangers 0. Devinder Singh