KUALA LUMPUR – Penang City FC head coach Akmal Rizal remains proud of his team’s form in the Super League despite their inconsistent performances.
The 42-year-old coach’s response comes after fans questioned the Black Panthers’ form on social media, citing that the team were yet to reach their full potential despite the inclusion of several stalwart players, such as Syamer Kutty Abba.
Syamer, who began his career with the Black Panthers in 2013, returned to the north-east side on loan after making 43 league appearances for Johor Darul Ta’zim FC since his debut in 2018.
Speaking to Scoop, Akmal said it is not fair for people to judge the team, noting that he has been trying his best with what he has, including the limited number of imported players in his squad.
For the record, Akmal has brought a total of eight players from his under-23 squad into his starting eleven in his opening three games in charge for this season’s Super League.
Nor Shahmi Irfan Talaha, the younger brother of former national footballer Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, aka Mat-Yo, is also part of the Penang under-23 team after signing his professional contract in March this year.
“There is no issue in Penang FC, and I’m not bothered if outsiders think we are not consistent. Penang are one of the teams with the fewest imported players, having only four compared to other teams that have nearly eight,” said Akmal when contacted.
“With our current results in the Super League, I don’t think it’s fair for people to judge us, as we are also a team with one of the lowest budgets in the Super League. I personally feel that people should not say our results are not good enough.
“We have drawn against teams that have been spending a lot of money, such as Sabah FC and Terengganu FC, and we won against Sri Pahang FC in the FA Cup. I feel that our results have been fair based on the budget given to us.
“But I also admit that we can get better, and I will make sure that we fix our flaws and work towards emerging victorious when we take on bigger teams in the weeks to come,” added Akmal.
Penang finished 10th in the Super League last season and currently rank seventh this season.
Tomorrow, they will take on Kuching City FC in their eighth league fixture. – August 10, 2024