Kelantan Red Warriors FC coach calls 0-9 loss 'unavoidable' due to FIFA ban

Kelantan Red Warriors FC (KRW) coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim has labeled the team's overwhelming 0-9 defeat against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the Super League as an "unavoidable" outcome. The primary reason cited for this heavy loss is a player transfer ban imposed by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which has crippled the club's ability to strengthen its squad with new signings.

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We only have 20 players and two of them are injured. In reality, more than half of the players we have were actually supposed to be released, but because of the FIFA ban, we had to call them back because there was no other choice.

According to Bakti, the existing management and main sponsors are bearing the consequences of past mismanagement, which led to the FIFA sanctions. The club currently has only 20 players, with two injured, and more than half of them were reportedly intended to be released. However, due to the transfer embargo, they were recalled out of necessity, leaving the team severely lacking in experience and depth.

Bakti pointed out that only two players in the current squad, Abdul Latiff Suhaimi and Mohd. Faiz Mohd. Nasir, have prior Super League experience, and even that was several years ago. The other players are new to the top-flight competition and, in Bakti's assessment, are not yet ready to compete at this level, especially after the team gained promotion based on merit.

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Only Abdul Latiff Suhaimi and Mohd. Faiz Mohd. Nasir have played in the Super League, and even then, it was several years ago. The other players are still new and, honestly, their level is not yet ready to compete at the highest level like the Super League, especially since we were promoted by merit.

Despite the dire situation, Bakti stressed that this is not an excuse for giving up. He expressed his hope that the club's management will expedite the resolution of the suspension issue. He sympathized with the current management and sponsors who are dealing with problems that originated from previous administrations, emphasizing the difficult position they are in.

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This is an old story, from the time of the previous management. Pity the current management and our main sponsor who have to bear problems that did not originate from them.