Hari ini buat sejarah & dalam sejarah : Final FA Cup 2008 Kedah vs Selangor
SHAH ALAM 21 Jun – Kedah mengesahkan kejaguhannya di arena bola sepak negara walaupun tanpa dua tonggak import dengan mempertahankan Piala FA selepas menundukkan Selangor 3-2 dalam perlawanan sengit akhir edisi ke-19 di Stadium Shah Alam, sebentar tadi.
Barisan bimbingan Azraai Khor Abdullah itu berjaya membawa kembali trofi persaingan kalah mati kebangsaan ini menerusi jaringan Fadly Baharom, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri dan Syafiq Jamal pada minit pertama, m-32 dan m-50 masing-masing sekali gus merapati cita-cita mengulangi pencapaian tiga gelaran seperti 2007 selepas menjuarai Liga Super, Mei lalu.
Di depan Sultan Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah dan kira-kira 50,000 penonton di tempat lawan yang tidak terjejas dengan kehangatan Kejohanan Bola Sepak Eropah (Euro) 2008 dan harga tiket yang didakwa agak mahal, Kenari berjaya menghampakan Gergasi Merah.
Dua gol Selangor dijaringkan gol Amirul Hadi Zainal (m-13) dan penyerang import dari Liberia, Frank Seator (m-70) menerusi sepakan penalti. - Utusan
TM Piala FA 2008 (Final) 1st Half - Selangor vs Kedah
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TM Piala FA 2008 (Final) 2nd Half - Selangor vs Kedah
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TM Piala FA 2008 (Final) Highlight - Selangor vs Kedah
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Red Giants humbled by the Canaries
THERE was drama, goals, a penalty and a red card as Malaysian football fans were treated to the perfect advertisement of good and entertaining football as Kedah retained the FA Cup at the Shah Alam Stadium tonight.
The Canaries' dramatic 3-2 victory at their opponents' own backyard was a fitting tribute to Kedah ruler Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah's golden jubilee celebration.
For Kedah coach, Azraai Khor Abdullah, it's two down, one more to go.
The win, before a paying crowd of 20,000, a poor turnout for a final, came two months after Kedah lifted the Super League title.
"We are proud to win and we dedicate this to our Tuanku Sultan," said Azraai, adding that his immediate task was to make his boys focused on the next Malaysia Cup match.
The humbling of the Red Giants, who had never lost a final at the Shah Alam Stadium before last night, began just 100 seconds after kick-off.
Left flanker Mohd Fadly Baharom had the simple task of tapping the ball home after a quick interchange of passes involving Shafiq Jamal and Baddrol Bakhtiar which allowed the latter to sneak past P. Gunalan.
Selangor responded well. In the fifth minute, Safee Sali crossed for Amri Yahyah but his placed shot was saved by keeper Helmi Eliza Elias.
Khyril Muhymeen Zambri then found himself inside the box but instead of passing to Shafiq, he decided to go for glory and was quickly nullified by Razman Roslan.
In an immediate counter attack, the Red Giants equalised. Elie Aiboy's cross was not properly cleared by Fazliata Taib and Amirulhadi Zainal had the presence of mind to place the ball beyond Helmi's grasp in the 13th minute.In the 32nd minute, Muhymeen atoned for his earlier mistake.
Cutting in from the left, he relayed the ball to Chilean ace Nelson San Martin who quickly released it back to Muhymeen who evaded Razman's tackle before unleashing a right-footed shot past Suffian.
Dollah Salleh's men went further behind five minutes after the break.
Muhymeen's inch-perfect pass from the centre pierced through the Red Giant defence and Shafiq gleefully shot the third goal past Suffian from the edge of the box.
With Safee subdued and Amri wasteful, Selangor needed more urgency upfront. Amirulhadi, whose father Zainal Nordin lifted the Cup in 1991, made way for Indra Putra Mahayuddin, while left flanker R. Surendren was replaced by Frank Seator.
The quartet tested the Kedah defence severely and their efforts were rewarded when Seator was fouled inside the box by Helmi. The Liberian striker picked himself up to narrow the gap in the 71st minute.
Despite having to play with 10 men after utility substitute Sabre Mat Abu was given his marching orders for a tackle from behind on Shukor Adan in the 75th minute, Kedah managed to hold on to a well-deserved victory. It was their third FA Cup win, having bagged the Cup in 1996 and last year. Scorers:
KEDAH: Mohd Fadly Baharom (2nd), Mohd Khyril Muhymeen Zambri (33rd), Mohd Shafiq Jamal (50th)
SELANGOR: Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal (13th), Frank Seator (71st). SELANGOR: Mohd Suffian Abdul Rahman, Razman Roslan (Ghani Rahman), P.Gunalan, Evans Chisulo, Mohd Nasriq Baharom, Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal (Indra Putra Mahayudin),
R. Surendran (Frank Seator), Mohd Shukor Adan, Mohd Amri Yahyah, Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Elie Aiboy.
KEDAH: Mohd Helmi Eliza Elias, Mohd Fazliata Taib, Victor Andrag (Ronny Harun), V. Thirumurugan, Shafizan Hashim, Ahmad Fauzi Shaari, Nelson San Martin, Mohd Fadly Baharom
(Samransak Kram), Baddrol Bakhtiar, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri, Shafiq Jamal (Sabre Mat Abu).
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