Kedah Darul Aman head coach Nafuzi Zain has voiced his optimism that better times would come for his squad sooner than later, despite a financial crisis that saw Nafuzi being forced to play his U-23s in their 5-0 defeat at the hands of Kuala Lumpur City FC over the weekend.
Speaking to the media after his side’s heavy defeat away at the KLFA Stadium on Saturday, Nafuzi hoped that the Kedah management would resolve the club’s financial issues before the situation could get more complicated.
Kedah’s financial woes has caused the first team squad to effectively boycott training after their wages went unpaid for several months, as well as prompting the departure of key players Habib Haroon, Fikri Che Soh, and Kalamullah Al-Hafiz.
Nafuzi acknowledged that the situation could worsen if more players decide to leave, emphasizing the importance of retaining Kedah’s first-teamers to avoid further setbacks. He openly admitted that the team’s depth had been severely affected by these absences. As more key players potentially move away, Nafuzi stressed the critical importance of securing talented individuals to prevent further losses and maintain competitiveness.
Despite the ongoing problems, Nafuzi highlighted the young players’ effort, though the lack of experience was evident. The Kedah first eleven that took to the field on Saturday consisted mainly of academy players who had recently competed in the 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Sarawak last month and the gulf of skills and experience is quite evident against a Kuala Lumpur side who fielded their heavy-hitters such as Paulo Josue (who scored a hat-trick to become the City Boys’ outright all-time top scorer) and Zhafri Yahya.
The mood in the Kedah camp remains uncertain, especially given the future threat of losing more players if their wages continue to be delayed.
Kuala Lumpur head coach Miroslav Kuljanac praised his team’s dedication, especially considering that they also face financial issues that saw the City Boys having six points deducted off them. Nevertheless, Kuljanac expressed pride in how his team coped with the difficulties, with his biggest challenge involving retaining his players’ motivation to stay competitive after discovering that Kedah will be playing with their youngsters.