Kelantan Red Warrior: Six Games, 29…

Before the season we covered Kelantan Red Warrior's return to the top flight. So far it has gone badly.

The results

Selangor won 4-1, JDT 9-0, Kuching City 5-0, KL City 3-1, Penang 3-2 and Star City 5-2. That is 0 points, 6 scored and 29 conceded.

Why Kelantan Red Warrior can't sign players

Head coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim is 75 and the league's oldest coach. He told The Star the FIFA transfer ban comes from claims against previous management: "Due to the same name and logo, claims were filed against us, and FIFA imposed a transfer ban. It has nothing to do with current management or sponsors."

After the 5-0 defeat by Kuching he told NST: "It breaks my heart to watch them play. They are trying their best, but the gap in quality compared to other teams is just too wide." At that point only 14 players were available.

"This is not an excuse"

He has kept taking the blame himself: "Every defeat, I take full responsibility as the manager." (The Star, 31 Aug)

The height problem

After losing 5-2 to Star City on 16 Oct, Irfan told Harian Metro that his team were losing the physical battles, especially in the air: "Kami kalah dari segi fizikal, kalah dari segi aerial ball… saya cukup bimbang apabila kami terkena bola-bola tendangan sudut" ("We lose physically, we lose in the air… I'm really worried whenever we face corners"). He said he hoped to bring in two or three imports.

What's next for Kelantan Red Warrior

Kelantan host Sabah on 21 Nov at 9pm. The ban hasn't gone away. NST reported on 27 Oct that a check of FIFA's registration-ban list showed nine cases against KRW, the most of any Malaysian club, and that they are still preventing the club from registering new players. NST also noted the cases reportedly stem from the old Kelantan FC's unpaid salaries rather than anything the current club did.