MFL should drop one of the cups, says Shahrul

SCRAP one of the cup competitions in the M-League.

This is the suggestion of Perak’s national defender Shahrul Saad to the Malaysian Football League (MFL) following the suspension of the M-League due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Shahrul has a good point here. That is because the fixtures will be very cramped when the M-League resumes due to heavy backlog of matches.

It will be worse when the backdated international fixtures are factored in with the domestic schedule.

“I think the best way would be to rid of one of the cup competitions. We really do not have sufficient time to fit everything into the league schedule,” said Shahrul yesterday,

“I feel this year is going to be a really challenging one. We started the league quite late and now it’s come to a stop and we wouldn’t know when it will resume.

“With the fasting month around the corner, it will be tough for Muslims. We also have the pre-World Cup qualifiers and AFF for the national team this year. It’s extremely packed.

“As a player, I will need to be mentally and physically prepared for the possibilities of playing three matches in a week.”

If the MFL are to take away one competition, the only Cup that can be postponed or cancelled is the Malaysia Cup despite its prestige. This is because the FA Cup (not the Malaysia Cup) offers the winner a berth in the 2021 AFC Cup group stage.

Meanwhile Shahrul, 26, admitted he felt strange sitting at home, following the government’s Movement Control Order (MCO), having been used to morning training session since 2008.

“We have been given a programme by the coach (Mehmet Durakovic) to do at home.

“For me, it’s slightly strange because I’m so used to being on the field everyday. But because the Covid-19 outbreak is so dangerous, we need to be mindful of the situation.

“In terms of food, I really watch what I eat because I gain weight quite fast. My wife also understands this and she cooks healthily for the whole family,” he said.

Perak were second in the Super League with two wins and two draws but their momentum came to a halt when the M-League was suspended on March 16.