SEMI-FINAL WAS OUR FINAL, SAYS DISAPPOINTED FANDI AHMAD

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Sri Pahang FC head coach Fandi Ahmad said that the 2024/2025 Malaysia Cup semi-final clash against Sabah FC was in many ways, their true "final."

The former Pahang and Singapore striker added that his team celebrated reaching the final as they believed luck might not be on their side in the ultimate showdown.

Ironically, in the final the Elephants lost 1-2 to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil here, last night.

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“They (players) were committed to this (final) because we didn’t do well in the league...this year we were supposed to fight for the top three but things happened along the way and thereafter  we knew our fight was for the (Malaysia) Cup.

“Actually, the semifinal match against Sabah FC was our final, this one ia bonus. After that game everybody celebrated because we were in the final because things might not work out for us in the final,” he told the post-match press conference after the final here, last night.

Commenting on the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the match, Fandi expressed his disappointment.

"For me, the VAR is a disappointment because nobody knows what’s happening, only the inside people, we can’t say good or bad, I won’t  say anything but whether it’s a fair call or not fair call I can’t say. I think you all know but what can we say,” he said, declining to comment further on the officiating quality.

The high-intensity final saw both teams forced to play with 10 players after two red cards were shown by referee Razlan Joffri Ali, one to Sri Pahang's striker Sergio Aguero and the other to JDT's defender Park Jun Heong.

Sri Pahang, under the guidance of Fandi Ahmad, stunned JDT by taking the lead through a 14th-minute strike from winger T. Saravanan.

Drawing on their experience, JDT responded to equalise with a penalty from prolific striker Bergson Da Silva in the 54th minute, before Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi scored the winning goal in the 74th minute.

The victory completed JDT’s historic triple treble, making them the only team to achieve this feat since Kedah’s double treble in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

The triple treble refers to winning the three major Malaysian football competitions — the Super League, FA Cup, and Malaysia Cup — in a single season.

-- BERNAMA