The Red Warriors go into the tournament as defending champions.
Kelantan captain Mohd Badhri Radzi insists they need ensure their guard is kept up at all times during the Malaysia Cup.
The defending champions have been installed as favourites to regain the trophy in the 87th edition of the tournament after easing to victory against Johor Darul Takzim in the FA Cup final and recording victories in their last five competitive matches.
Despite that Badhri believes the Red Warriors will have to be on their toes, especially in Group C where he feels opponents Terengganu, Pahang and Negri Sembilan will be out to claim a scalp, but feels Bojan Hodak’s are well equipped to deal with the challenges ahead.
“We may be the defending champions, but we cannot afford to let our guard down as the Malaysia Cup is an unforgiving tournament,” he told The Star.
“Two bad results in the group phase is enough to put a team in trouble. We are well prepared for the challenge and need to be at our best to overcome our opponents in Group C and qualify for the knockout rounds.”
Kelantan opened their Malaysia Cup campaign with a bruising 1-1 draw against Pahang, in which both sides had a player sent off.
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