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KL want Merdeka Stadium

COMPETITIVE football is set to return to the Merdeka Stadium should the FA of Malaysia approve Kuala Lumpur’s application to use the historic venue as its’ home ground next year.

Premier League side KL want to return to the Merdeka Stadium as the KLFA Stadium is being renovated and will only be ready in late 2016.

A top level football match was last played at the Merdeka Stadium in October 2001 when Malaysia and Cambodia drew 1-1 in a friendly while the last domestic game played there was a Malaysia Cup tie between Malacca and Brunei two months earlier.

KL last used the Merdeka Stadium as their home ground in 1997 while the venue also hosted 37 Malaysia Cup finals, the last of which was in 1999.

KL’s application will be approved if the stadium fulfills the FAM competitions committee’s specifications.

“It will depend on the outcome of our inspection of the stadium’s pitch and the committee will decide in its’ meeting on Sunday,” said FAM deputy president and competitions committee chairman Datuk Seri Afandi Hamzah yesterday.

However, the stadium’s lighting specifications does not meet FAM’s requirements which means KL will have to play their home games in the evening.

Afandi also said Sunday’s meeting will attempt to resolve the impasse involving the double registrations of several players for next season, most notably that of Gary Steven Robbat, who is claimed by both Pahang and Darul Ta’zim.

“The traditional three-day seminar for M-League teams will take place from Friday to Sunday, after which we will hold our meeting,” said Afandi. “We will try to resolve all the outstanding issues, including venues and player registrations, and we will also draw up the fixtures for the new season.”

Meanwhile, KL are undertaking a two-match tour of Thailand on Dec 22-24 when they will play top-flight clubs TOT and Suphanburi.

The city side, coached by Ricardo Formosinho — Jose Mourinho’s former assistant at Porto during their Champions League-winning season in 2004, will meet Kelantan in their first pre-season friendly in Kota Baru on Dec 19. By Devinder Singh

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