Selangor Prepare For AFC Cup Without Any Foreign Stars

Posted Tuesday, February 02, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

Selangor, Malaysia’s sole representative for the AFC Cup this season, have decided to participate in the tournament without the inclusion of foreign players.

Club secretary Hamidin Amin has told local media that Selangor tried in vain to land some good buys but failed to obtain any for only a short stint in the AFC Cup, considering the ban on allowing foreigners to compete in domestic competition since 2009.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have banned the involvement of imported players in the Malaysian League (M-League) since 2009 in order to boost the fortunes of the national side.

Amin is confident however that Selangor, who won the Super League, FA Cup and Charity Shield in K.Devan’s first season in charge last year, would make it to the Round of 16.

The Red Giants are currently top of the 14 team Super League standings after seven rounds of matches, and have retained the Charity Shield so far.

They were the runner-up of the inaugural Asian Club Championships in 1967 losing to Hapoel Tel Aviv, back when Israel was still within AFC’s jurisdiction, and have never scaled those heights reached since then.

Their most recent involvement in the second rate AFC Cup saw them knocked out in the Quarter-Finals in 2006 to Lebanon’s Al-Nejmeh.

Selangor open their campaign at home on February 24, 2010 against last season’s semi-finalist Binh Duong of Vietnam, and are drawn in Group F which also comprises Victory Sports Club of Maldives and another team who will come through from the playoffs.

Malaysia's other representative Perlis, declined to compete citing financial issues, but AFC rejected FAM's request for a replacement.