Chance for clubs to strut their stuff (The Malay Mail)

WITH respects and recognition for club teams growing, the fifth edition of
the FAM Cup which kicks off tomorrow, takes on a new sheen of interest.
 The fact that club teams like Johor FC and Negri Sembilan Chempaka have
passed through the doors of the FAM Cup to battle state sides in Premier
Two reflect the status of the tournament.
 With four teams qualifying from the FAM Cup to the FA Cup competition,
that's further incentive.
 The FAM Cup is a platform for club teams to get a shot at professional
State teams. Notably, Johor FC and Chempaka are holding their own against
the states.
 While clubs like Maybank and Pahang LKPP, who competed in last year's
meet, withdrawn this year due to financial constraint, it's encouraging
that other clubs are enthusiastic.
 Six new teams who qualified from the qualifying tournament will join six
teams from last season for the FAM Cup challenge.
 The newcomers are Sabah Gunosukod Pangaits, Kedah Kota Setar Town
Council, Johor JB City Hall, Kelantan JKR, Selangor Wilayah Maju-KPSNS and
Terengganu Perkasa Alam.
 The teams from last season are Malacca Telekoms, Kuala Lumpur Malay
Mail, Negri Sembilan Bank Simpanan Nasional, Kelantan TNB, Kedah JKR and
Kedah PKNK.
 Telekoms, who emerged the 1996 FAM champions when they denied Johor FC a
hattrick, will start as favourites.
 Telekoms are among the few teams in the League who have recruited some
calibre players, both local and foreign, due to strong financial backing
from their management.
 A notable player in their team is Ghanian Isaac Kuffor who is in his
second season with the team. A member of Ghana's Junior World Cup squad
last year, he  scored 17 goals in last year's FAM Cup tournament.
 BSN are another team to watch out for as they have been impressive in
their friendly matches and that includes victories over Telekom and Malay
Mail.
 Former Armed Forces coach M. Paramasivam has been hired to guide them.
But  they are a strictly local outfit who have shown great potential to be
among the front runners.
 Malay Mail, in their second season, have also strengthened their team by
recruiting several former national and State players. Among them are S.
Balachandran (former KL and Sabah), T. Gopinath Naidu (former KL and
Perak), K. Viajantheran (former KL and Perak), S. Mathen, K. Hemadass, S.
Saravanan (all former KL), N. Suresh (former Perlis) and M. Pavalamani
(former KL, Sabah, Malacca and Terengganu).
 MM also have up and coming youngsters like Rakis Setia Khan, Mohamad
Imran Ahmad, Azizul Jamaluddin and Roshaidi Ramli while they rely only on
one foreigner, Australian Taso Notaras.
 Of the newcomers in the tournament, Sabah's Gunosukod Pangaits should be
a team to watch out for. With their declared aim of playing in Premier One
in the year 2000, Pangaits are serious about their campaign.
 They have three foreigners in Scottish defender Derek Wemyss, Brazilian
midfielder Edilson Cesar De Araujo and French striker Joel Lahon.
 Among the notable coaches involved in the tournament are Mosthakeen Omar
and P. Balakrishan for Kedah JKR and Kedah PKNK respectively.
 Others include Paramsivam (BSN), Salim Mahmud (Kelantan TNB), Radzali
Embi (Telekoms) and Marcellinus Bungkilan (Gunusukod).
 The clubs each get a RM30,000 subsidy from the FAM for the first round
of the League which involves 10 matches - five home and five away. But to
manage a  team for the period alone needs at least RM60,000.
 The top four teams from each Group of six will advance to the final
rounds where they will again be divided into two Groups and play another
six matches - three home and three away.
 The top two teams in each group will proceed to the semifinals which are
played on a home and away basis. The final is also played over two legs.
 For the final rounds, the clubs each get another RM20,000 from FAM.
 The champion of the tournament will earn RM50,000 while the runners-up
get RM25,000.

 PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS
 1994: Johor FC; 1995: Johor FC; 1996: Malacca Telekoms; 1997: Armed
Forces.
 GROUPINGS FOR 1998 SEASON
 GROUP A - SABAH Gunosukod Pangaits, KEDAH PKNK, KELANTAN JKR, KEDAH Kota
Setar Town Council, Johor JB City Hall and NEGRI SEMBILAN BSN.
 GROUP B - KL Malay Mail, MALACCA Telekoms, KEDAH JKR, KELANTAN TNB,
SELANGOR Wilayah Maju-KPSNS, TERENGGANU Perkasa Alam.
                              (END)