Fandi takes Pahang to Malaysia Cup final again

The magic of Fandi Ahmad is inextricably linked with the Malaysia Cup and, 45 years after he scored Singapore's winner against Selangor in the 1980 final for his first title, the 62-year-old has a shot at another sensational title.

Now coach of Sri Pahang, the legendary striker has guided his team through numerous challenges to reach the April 12 Malaysia Cup final against giants Johor Darul Takzim (JDT).

"We know how hard we have fought on and off the pitch to be focused, firm and strong," he told The Straits Times on the sidelines of the BYD Football Fiesta at ARFC Woodleigh, where former Singapore internationals and former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs managed teams in a friendly futsal tournament on Feb 22.

"It is very difficult for other teams to win the league for at least the next 10 years because JDT are by far the strongest team with their financial power, infrastructure and players. But, in a one-off cup game, I believe we have a chance. It will be very, very tough, but not impossible."

While JDT boast tremendous financial clout, the outlook for other Malaysia Super League (MSL) clubs is not as rosy, as the privatisation of the league and its teams has not had quite the positive effect that was expected since the process started in 2015.

There were reports of unpaid salaries, with 262 cases filed against teams in 2019, and the trend has continued.

In July 2024, Kuala Lumpur City captain Paulo Josue, a Brazil-born forward who has been naturalised to play for Malaysia, claimed he was owed seven months' salary.

Two months later, Kedah's first-team players went on strike to protest against unpaid wages, and the club had to field their Under-23s for their MSL match against KL City, which they lost 5-0.

The New Straits Times reported that other clubs facing financial difficulties include Sabah and Sri Pahang, with sources telling ST that Fandi and his players are also owed salaries.

When asked about the situation, all he would say was: "I have been through such challenges as a player, so I know it's hard.

"But I advised them to persevere because this is their career. When we love the sport so much and trained so hard to become footballers, we need to stay the course and be focused.

"It's important to show our character and mental toughness, and, so far, the team have responded very well."

While the Elephants currently sit a lowly 11th out of 13 teams in the MSL, they have come alive in the Malaysia Cup, where they have beaten Selangor (second in the league), Perak (sixth) and Sabah (third) en route to the final.

It has also been a remarkable run considering Sri Pahang played all their home games this season at the smaller Temerloh Stadium, which is two hours by bus from Kuantan, as their Darul Makmur Stadium home is being upgraded.

They will have more obstacles to overcome as their leading striker, Liberian Kpah Sherman is suspended for the final, while Argentinian forward Manuel Hidalgo, on-loan from JDT, is cup-tied.

Midfielder Kuvondik Ruziev also returned to Uzbekistan due to family issues, leaving them with just three foreign imports while JDT can start with six.

Regardless of the result, the fairy-tale path to the final already means a lot to Fandi. He shares a firm friendship with Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah, younger brother of Pahang's Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, after playing for the state team in 1991 and 1992.

After winning three Malaysia Cups on the bounce with Kuala Lumpur, he led Pahang to the league and Malaysia Cup double in 1992 before repeating the feat with the Lions in 1994.

He then coached Singapore's LionsXII to the Malaysian FA Cup trophy in 2015, and another triumph in April would cap another unique cup double.

Fandi, who joined Pahang in 2022 as assistant coach to Dollah Salleh before taking over in 2023, said: "This is not just for me, but more for the people in Pahang. They love and appreciate it because it's been more than 10 years since they won the 2014 Malaysia Cup, and they have missed such an occasion.

"In many ways, we faced difficulties, but we managed to fight our way to a cup final, and people in Pahang are very proud of that, which makes me happy. Everyone has worked so hard and winning would be a big bonus."