The Golden Deers want to be able to register four foreigners next season to aid their AFC Cup quest.
Kelantan are hoping to be granted permission from the Football Association of Malaysia to register four foreign players next season.
Under current guidelines Malaysian Premier League sides can now list four foreigners in their squad next season, one required to be Asian, with just three permitted to play in the league and that is something the Golden Deers want to change.
They have qualified for the AFC Cup again and manager Azman Ibrahim believes the ruling is prohibitive and prevents teams from properly challenging for the trophy after seeing his tired players dumped out by lower ranked opposition at the quarter-final stage this year.
“We need all our imports to play in the league as it will help them maintain fitness ahead of our AFC Cup campaign,” Azman informed the New Straits Times recently
“We had a difficult outing in the recent AFC Cup, as two signings did not get enough matches while the other two played in the domestic league.
“I believe we could have done better and if FAM wants its teams to make an impact on Asian-level competitions, it should be flexible with its rules.”
Kelantan submitted an unofficial request to the national body before the campaign started but saw it swiftly refused and the reigning Malaysia Cup champions will step up their efforts to change the ruling with an official handwritten appeal.
FAM’s competitions committee chairman Datuk Affandi Hamzah confirmed the matter would be considered saying: “This decision was discussed at length when the committee was under Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin. Anyway, we will look at the request if it comes.”
COMMENTS