KUALA NERUS: Terengganu FC (TFC) remain confident despite being without their import strikers for the Asian Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup 2024/25 match against Myanmar’s Shan United FC this Wednesday.
TFC head coach Badrul Afzan Razali expressed full confidence in his local players, who he believes are capable of matching the performance of their international counterparts.
In addition to loan players Muhammad Safawi Rasid and Muhammad Akhyar Rashid from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), TFC boast a roster of talented young local forwards, including Muhammad Syahmi Zamri and Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir Engku Yacob, both of whom have consistently delivered strong performances in Malaysia League (M-League) matches.
“Our three import strikers—Nelson Bonilla, Ivan Mamut, and Ismaheel Akinade—are unavailable for various reasons.
“Bonilla couldn’t be registered for the Shopee Cup as he joined during the second transfer window, Mamut has just recovered from an injury and is only expected to arrive in Terengganu on Jan 10, while Ismaheel had to be left out due to Myanmar’s regulations prohibiting African players from entering the country,” Badrul Afzan said.
Meanwhile, young forward Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir expressed his determination to bring home a victory for TFC if given the opportunity to play.
“Playing on the international stage is a rare opportunity. If I get the chance, I aim to prove the quality of local players and, more importantly, help the team secure all three points,” he said.
The Turtles are currently fifth in Group A, which includes Dong A Thanh Hoa (Vietnam), PSM Makassar (Indonesia), BG Pathum United (Thailand), Shan United FC (Myanmar), and Svay Rieng FC (Cambodia). The team have earned one point so far.
To move up from second-bottom, they must secure at least one point against Shan United before facing Indonesian giants PSM Makassar at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium (SSMZA) on Jan 22.– BERNAMA
