KUALA LUMPUR – Terengganu FC is ready to challenge Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) dominance in the Malaysia Super League with their new signings and vast experience.
The east coast club, affectionately known as “The Turtles” by its fans, has recently brought in national footballers Muhammad Safawi Rasid and Akhyar Rashid from JDT on loan for the new season.
Safawi began his professional football career with T-Team from 2014 to 2016, before moving to JDT in 2017.
In 2020, the 27-year-old was loaned to Portimonense S.C. in Portugal, and Rachaburi FC, Thailand, in 2023, while Akhyar started his career with Kedah FC in 2017 before moving to JDT in 2019.
For the record, Safawi and Akhyar were part of national head coach Kim Pan-gon’s AFC Asian Cup squad in Qatar in January.
Speaking to Scoop, Terengganu FC chief executive officer, Mohd Sabri Abas, said that being consistent has always been the club’s main priority over the years.
“We look sharper this season, and everything is going well under the tutelage of head coach Tomislav Steinbruckner. We have the players with us, and they are capable of putting up a good challenge in all the tournaments, especially the Super League.
“Our goal is to finish as one of the top three teams in the league this season and qualify for all the finals in domestic tournaments. But we are not going to stop there; we want to win in whatever we compete in.
“We didn’t do as well as expected last season, but I have full trust in the team this season. We can definitely pull off a surprise by challenging for the title with Selangor FC, Sabah FC, and ultimately dethroning JDT for the title,” said Sabri when contacted.
Meanwhile, Sabri also said that he expects Safawi to be a role model for the team and a driving force in their quest for the Super League title.
“Safawi is now one of the most experienced footballers in the country, and it’s a privilege for us to have him on our team.
“He’s a player who has won everything in his domestic football career, and it would be great if he could share his knowledge with our players who are coming up through the youth ranks.
“This will be his second stint in Terengganu, and we hope to see the best from him in the new season,” Sabri added.
Last season, Terengganu finished sixth in the Super League and were semi-finalists in the FA Cup and finalists in the Malaysia Cup.
JDT were crowned the Super League champions as they finished at the top of the league with 76 points and zero defeats.
The Turtles also performed decently in the AFC Cup last year, finishing second in their group. However, it was not enough to advance to the knockout stage. – April 2, 2024