KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 – Seven-time Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) is set to rule this year’s National Football Awards, which will be held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic on Dec 30.
The Southern Tigers are top-heavy with nominations and without a doubt, it is expected to be a JDT show with long-serving Mexican coach, Benjamin Mora set to take the Best Coach Award.
However, one name stands out like a sore thumb in the nominations for the Best Coach category. Can someone throw light on Selangor’s Michael Feichenbeiner’s nomination?
The German, who is the Selangor FA technical director was the coach of the Selangor feeder squad before he was named as the caretaker coach after the management of the Red Giants sacked B. Satianathan after a 6-1 defeat to JDT in a league match in Johor Bahru on Sept 19.
A day later Selangor 2 coached by Feichenbeiner, suffered a similar margin defeat at the hands of JDT II in a Premier League at home.
After taking the hot seat with the Red Giants, the German was at the helm for three Super League matches. Selangor could manage a 3-3 draw against UiTM FC followed by wins over Felda United and Police winning 6-1 and 7-0 respectively against the bottom two teams.
It is a surprise to see the German’s name in the list of nominations. While Selangor finished fifth in the Super League, Selangor 2 managed only a seventh place in the 12-team league. Does this make him a nominee for the awards? There is certainly a big question mark on this.
The other coaches in the running Kedah’s Aidil Sharin Sahak, Akira Higashiyama (Kuching FA), Frank Bernhardt (UiTM FC), Manzoor Azwira (Penang), Mehmet Durakovic (Perak), Nafuzi Zain (Terengganu FC), Nidzam Adza (Kuala Lumpur), and Yusri Che Lah (Kelantan).
JDT also has nominees for Best Goalkeeper (Farizal Marlias, Best Defender (Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak, Corbin Ong, Matthew Davies) while for the Best Midfielder they have Afiq Fazail, Gonzalo Cabrera, Leandro Valazquez, and Safawi Rasid.
In line for the Best Striker Award from JDT are Diogo Luis Santo and Ramadhan Saifullah Usman.
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