After running foul over late payment of salaries last season and a warning letter issued by the FA of Malaysia (FAM) to “pay up” or face a possibles deduction of points or even expulsion from the league, Melaka United is hoping for a better outing in the 2020 season.
Head coach Zainal Abidin Hassan believes with the latest signing of Haitian international Sony Norde he has completed the jigsaw. The 30-year-old Haitian hitman completes the foreign legion in the team.
Melaka’s other new foreign signings are Colombian midfielder, Romel Morales, former Police striker Uche Agba (Nigerian) and retained South Korean defender Jang Suk-won.
Philippines international Patrick Reichelt has left the team to a join Thai club which offered him a lucrative deal that Melaka could not offer.
Melaka will go on a playing tour of Indonesia for its final lap of preparations. Zainal, a former international, is into his second season with the team and is using the pre-season friendlies to identify his core team.
”This time around we have depth in all departments. Every player has a role to play. There is no such thing as depending on one or two players,” said Zainal.
Last year, Melaka finished sixth in the Super League, reached the quarter-finals in the Malaysia Cup before losing to Pahang while in the FA Cup was shown the exit in the second round by PKNS FC in the FA Cup. RIZAL ABDULLAH
