KUALA LUMPUR – PDRM FC head coach P. Maniam hopes his team will reach their full potential following their positive result against Johor Darul Ta’zim FC in the Super League on Wednesday.
The Cops blemished the stellar record of the reigning Super League champions with a 1-1 draw, ending JDT’s six-match winning streak in the competition.
Former national striker Shahrel Fikri Md Fauzi delivered a surprising lead for the home side at the Selayang Municipal Council Stadium in the 22nd minute, while JDT’s import midfielder Oscar Arribas netted the equaliser in the 32nd minute.
Speaking to Scoop, Maniam said he hopes his charges will not get carried away with the result and aims for them to maintain their momentum for a top-five finish in the league.
“We are grateful and happy with everything that has been going on with PDRM FC compared to some of the other clubs in the country. With the salaries coming on time, we are motivated and pumped to do better than before.
“Of course, we are happy with the result against JDT, but we also need to accept the fact that they were not in their best form and were a bit tired after the number of games they played. On our side, we just took advantage of their weakness.
“We hope to continue this momentum and play the same way we did against JDT in all our upcoming matches. Consistency is very important, and we need to be very particular about this if we hope to have a top-five finish this season.
“The result against JDT was an eye-opener regarding how capable we are and the efforts we need to put in to reach our full potential,” said Maniam when contacted.
Previously, Scoop reported PDRM FC chief executive officer Mohamad Hafiz Zainal Abidin denying allegations that the club is facing financial constraints which have resulted in their coaches and players not receiving payment.
According to sources within the football fraternity, there were rumours that the club’s management, funded by redONE Network Sdn Bhd (a mobile virtual network operator), had been withholding the salaries of players for nearly two months.
For the record, redONE is no stranger to the local football scene, having previously funded clubs such as Sabah FC and Kelantan FC.
In their sixth appearance in the top-tier of Malaysian, PDRM FC finished in eighth place last season with 37 points, narrowly missing out on the 2024/25 Asean Club Championship group stage (AFF Shopee Cup) by just one point behind Kuala Lumpur City FC, who finished seventh with 38 points.
The Cops currently sit 11th in the Super League with five points. – August 3, 2024