Super League side Negri Sembilan have chucked their head coach Azraai Khor Abdullah out of the team just after a month into the job and five matches – leaving the former international shocked and baffled.
He received the shock on Thursday and is still searching for the right answers for his ‘sack’ – just when he was looking for the right players to fill up the positions that needed to be tightened up things in his bid to strengthen the team.
Azraai reminded that he inherited a team that was picked by someone else and he found several glaring shortcomings in the team when he replaced German Jorg Steinebrunner.
Now he has been replaced by Portuguese Mario Lemos, a former national coach of Bangladesh – hired by team manager Datuk Mohamad Haslah Mohd Amin, who also a vice-president of NSFA.
Much to the dismay of Azraai two new foreigners, Spanish-born Philippines citizen Angel Guirado, a striker and Brazilian centre-back Alex Moraes without his knowledge.
Negri has since added a third new foreign signing during the current second transfer window and he is David Rowley, a utility player of mixed parentage, an English father and a Malaysian mother.
“I have acknowledged my termination letter on condition that the terms and conditions of my contract are met…that is to pay me what is due to me as stipulated in my contract which is until the end of the season,” said Azraai from Alor Setar.
“It is grossly unfair to judge me after five matches when the season is still a long way to go. I was given a free hand to make the changes in the team to keep the team in the Super League.
“But some hidden hands are manipulating the management of the team and he seems to have free reign in doing this. You will not be able to do much if this is what is happening in a team…you are hindered from carrying out your job.
“You do not know the actual reasons for the termination of your contract. You are at the mercy of your employers which simply makes it impossible for you to do your work.
The Kedahan – is best known for creating Malaysian football history for winning a double treble in 2007 and 2008 with Kedah – winning the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Malaysia Cup a rare achievement in the game in Malaysia. has taken Negri Sembilan FA’s decision sportingly but wants the management to settle his dues which are stipulated in his contract which runs through 2018.
This is not the first time the NSFA have run foul with coaches. The nagging question is “where is your professionalism Negri Sembilan?” if you want football in the state to develop.
Negri faces Kedah at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi in a second-round league match on Sunday. – By Rizal Abdullah
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