SHAH ALAM (7 Dec 2015) – The Dec 12 Malaysia Cup final will be between Selangor and Kedah after both sides won their return-leg semi-final matches at home on Sunday.
Selangor winners of the prestigious and most sought after Malaysia Cup sent defending champions Pahang crashing out with a 2-0 win at the Shah Alam Stadium to advance 2-0 on aggregate after the first-leg in Kuantan ended in a scoreless draw.
At the Darulaman Stadium in Alor Setar the Red Eagles advanced 4-3 on aggregate with a 2-1 win over 10-man Felda United. The first-leg at the Selayang Stadium ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
Felda came undone after influential playmaker Indra Putra Mahayuddin was sent for an early shower on 61 minutes for a second bookable offence when he was hauled up by referee Zamzaidi Katimin – after elbowing Shafizan Hashim in the face while challenging for the ball.
Until then Felda were very much in the picture. The Fighters were 1-0 up after 39 minutes. Thiago Augusto back-heeled for Syamim Yahya who just had the pace to run through and his simple tap went out of reach of Kedah keeper Firdaus Mohamad and the ball hit the inside of the right upright and rolled in.
But in the 44th minute Kedah fans were jumping for joy and celebrating when Baddrol Bakhtiar crossed from the right for Chidi Edeh to whip in an unstoppable shot from the top of the six-yard box and it was 3-3 on a aggregate.
And Felda paid dearly for giving away a freekick in the 51st minute. And their Brazilian dead ball specialist Sandro Da Silva made it count for a 2-1 lead beating Felda goalkeeper Farizal Harun all the way.
Felda threw everything into attack after this but with a player short after Indra’s sacking it took its toll as Kedah held out.
At the Shah Alam Stadium Australian Guilherme De Paula hit a long range attempt that sailed into the Pahang net past a rooted Azhan Khalid in goal.
Nazmi Faiz Mansor, often described as the “Problem Child of Malaysian football” turned in winning performance when he netted the second goal in the 54th minute.
MALAYSIA CUP
RESULTS 2ND-LEG SEMI-FINALS (7 Dec)
SELANGOR 2 PAHANG 0
(Selangor advance 2-0 on aggregate)
KEDAH 2 FELDA UNITED 1
(Felda advance 4-3 on aggregate)
