THE usually quiet Jerantut FA training ground burst into life as small groups of amateurs began to arrive for their daily practice session.
They do not earn five-figure salaries, thus they use motorcycles as their main mode of transport to the training ground as opposed to their peers in the top-tier competitions who own fancy cars.
Unlike the training grounds of Super League and Premier League teams which have changing rooms and gym facilities, Jerantut players use a public washroom nearby to change.
There are no lockers to keep their things. Instead, they leave their bags and other belongings under a canopy near the training ground. They train at 5pm six days a week under the watchful eyes of head coach Ahmad Nazri Mat Noor.
Sadly, they do not have a proper training ground. They can only train on a worn out artificial pitch which has a lot of patches.
Jerantut is one of the poorest teams in Malaysian football. Their players are not paid salaries. Instead they are given allowances of RM15 (training) and RM50 (matches). It is learnt their monthly budget is only RM10,000.
And for fitness, part of their training regime is hiking up Bukit Seladang and swimming sessions at a resort.
Despite the setbacks, Jerantut, popularly known as the Kampung Boys, have defied the odds to reach the third round of the FA Cup. They will entertain Super League side Perak at the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka tomorrow.
In the earlier rounds, the M4 League side defeated Blastier Galicia 3-1 (qualifying round), Besut 2-1 (first round) and M3 side Johor Baru FA 3-0 (second round).
“Frankly, we were praying we would host Perak at home in Jengka. If it was an away match, we would have had a headache looking for a grass pitch to train,” said Nazri at the Jerantut FA training ground recently.
“Although the artificial field might favour us, there is still a lot to be done when we play Perak. They have foreigners and a host of national players.
“As for Jerantut, we have a group of ‘kampung boys’, many of whom have not played top-tier football. We have nothing to lose on Wednesday. It would be nice if we can create history.”
Nazri, who has been coaching the M4 League side since 2011, said the club comprise mainly players who were born in Jerantut together with those from other districts and also former professionals.
He said Jerantut, who were runners-up in last year’s Sultan of Pahang Cup, do not have a fixed income.
“The association rely on contributions from their committee members and well-wishers.
“We do not pay the players any salary. Instead, they receive training and match allowances while the two foreign players (Nigeria’s Idisi Ovie Precious and Guinea’s Berete Mamadou) are paid a small sum as a token.
“Since some of the players are from other districts, we have rented a house for them and meals are provided for free by a restaurant in town.
“The club are trying to adopt a professional approach in football. We train six times a week, conduct fitness sessions and also do match analysis.
“For example, before playing Perak we will do video analysis, so the players will know what to expect from their opponents,” he said.
Jerantut have 28 players, aged between 18 and 35.
“Some might say we were lucky to face smaller teams in the opening rounds (of the FA Cup), but I think credit should go to the players as they showed determination to make it to the third round.
“For my players, the match against Perak may open a window of opportunities. It is a platform, especially for our younger players to market themselves and secure professional contracts in the future.
“Furthermore, the match could be beamed ‘live’ on TV.
“We are prepared to release any player who receives offers. I want to see some earning a monthly salary,” said Nazri.
On the two foreigners (Precious, 26 and Berete, 24), Nazri noted that they are college students.
“Precious and Berete were absorbed into the team after making an impact in a friendly match in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year. Both have been with us since March.
“They are disciplined and have good skills, and scouts are already monitoring them, so let’s see if they will remain with the club until next year,” said Nazri.
Nazri added: “Being in the last 16 of the FA Cup is already an achievement. Anything more will be a bonus.
“The pressure is on Perak to beat us.
“Once our campaign in the FA Cup is over, we will focus on earning a promotion to the M3 League next year. If we achieve this then I believe we will secure sponsors,” he added.