Jentayu FC Secures First Win in Kedah League Despite Playing with Nine Men; Tournament Aims to Revive State's Football Legacy

Jentayu FC kicked off their Kedah League 2026 Piala DZR campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over MADA FC, securing their first three points. The Langkawi-based team achieved this win despite facing significant adversity, playing with only nine men after receiving two red cards for fouls during the match. The team demonstrated resilience and skill, establishing a commanding 3-0 lead before MADA FC managed to narrow the scoreline with two late goals.

Jentayu FC opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Muhammad Ad Dha. Their advantage was extended in the second half with goals from striker Thanphisit Hempandan in the 50th minute and Muhammad Fizry just two minutes later. MADA FC's attempts to equalize came too late, with goals from Muhammad Farhan in the 68th minute and Mohd Ikmal Faiz during added time proving insufficient.

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This is one of the efforts we are working on with PBMK to continue Kedah's football legacy. I see the state's football performance as quite dim, and that's why we are working hard on the ground to restore its glory.

Datuk Zuraidi Rahim, patron of the Kedah Malay Football Association (PBMK), stated that the tournament serves as a crucial platform for selecting talented players for the Piala Emas Raja-Raja. He emphasized the goal of reviving Kedah's once-prominent football legacy, which has faded in recent years. PBMK, in collaboration with the Kedah Football Association (KFA), plans to focus on nurturing new talent to restore Kedah's status as a major force in national football.

To achieve this, PBMK intends to establish football development centers and clinics in selected schools, targeting players aged 15 to 18. Schools like SMK Mergong and SMK Tunku Anum Tunku Abdul Rahman are among those identified. These initiatives aim to cultivate a new generation of quality players, reminiscent of Kedah's golden era in the 1990s, ensuring a lasting legacy for the state's football.

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These football clinics will be a platform to develop future players who can represent Kedah, as we want to produce quality players again who can become a legacy like the golden generation of Kedah that achieved glory in the 1990s.