Selangor FC pull out of Charity Shield match

Selangor FC have decided to withdraw from Friday’s Charity Shield match with JDT, citing safety concerns. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Selangor FC have decided to pull out of the Charity Shield match against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), scheduled to be played at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri, on Friday.

“After much deliberation and detailed discussions, following a series of criminal incidents, and recent threats to several players and team officials, the club have reluctantly decided not to participate in the match.

“We would like to emphasise that the safety of the team is of the utmost importance, and we take all forms of violence and threats seriously,” Selangor FC said in a statement released this evening, adding that it regretted any inconvenience.

The club’s position follows a decision by the Malaysian Football League (MFL) to proceed with the match as planned, rejecting a request by Selangor FC to postpone the fixture.

“The safety of the players and fans has been assured by Johor police chief M Kumar, who announced that 1,500 police personnel will be on duty compared to the usual 500.

“They will conduct strict monitoring and checks during the match,” MFL said, adding that all matches scheduled for the first week would follow the predetermined schedule.

Recent weeks have witnessed three attacks on footballers, starting with Terengganu FC winger Akhyar Rashid who was attacked by two robbers last week upon returning from training.

Selangor FC winger Faisal Halim was left in critical condition after being splashed with acid at a shopping mall on Sunday, while JDT midfielder Safiq Rahim had his car windscreen smashed by unknown assailants late Tuesday.