PETALING JAYA, Dec 10 – Lee Tuck, Dominique Da Sylva (Mauritania), Sanjar Shaakhmedov (Uzbek) and Singapore international Faris Ramli are some of the names who lighted up the Terengganu football scene and played a big role for helping Terengganu in the recently concluded Malaysian League.
The Turtles finished a creditable third in the 12-team Super League by the stroke of luck found themselves a place in next year’s AFC Cup after the Malaysia Cup was called off at the quarter-final stage due to the worsening Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Seven-time Super League champions, Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) earned a slot in the AFC Champions League while runners-up Kedah took the AFC Cup berth.
The second AFC Cup slot is for the Malaysia Cup champions and with the cancellation of the prestigious tournament in the region, the FA of Malaysia picked Terengganu for the Asian meet.
Lee Tuck, Dominique, Sanjar, and Faris have been released by the Turtles for the new season, and the East Coast side has been on an active drive to recruit and has signed up some of the bright football talents in the country.
Coming across from neighboring Kelantan are Nik Akif Syahiran, 21 (pic), Shahrul Nizam Ros Hasni, 22, Pahang’s Faisal Halim, flanker Muhamad Arif Anwar (from UiTM FC), and ex UKM FC skipper, Asnan Ahmad.
The Turtles has retained Nafuzi Zain as the head coach for the new season and the former international has been quietly plugging the loopholes in the team to carry its challenge not only in the AFC Cup but more importantly in the M-League.
It was a journey of ups and downs for the Turtles who made the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals after knocking out Petaling Jaya City FC 1-0 in the first round.
They were down to meet Perak for a place in the semi-finals before the pandemic havoc got the better of things.
Many expect Terengganu to mount a strong challenge in the 2021 season.
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