Following a massive revamp Terengganu wasted no time in filling up its Asean quota for next year’s M-League by signing up Singapore international Faris Ramli to replace Cambodian Thierry Chantha Bin.
The 27-year-old Faris is no newcomer to the Malaysian League, having played for Selangor outfit PKNS FC last year. Chantha Bin is a current Cambodian international.
Terengganu finished empty-handed this year in a topsy-turvy season. The Turtles finished seventh in the 12-team Super League. In the FA Cup, the Turtles lost 5-2 on aggregate to neighbors Pahang in the quarter-finals.
In the Malaysia Cup, it was another quarter-final exit for the East Coast hopefuls – beaten 5-1 on aggregate by eventual champions Johor Darul Takzim.
Terengganu is infusing new blood for the new season and among those who have been dropped, apart from Chantha Bin, including Ivory Coast hitman Kipre Chetche but have retained English-born Lee Tuck and Uzbekistan midfielder Sanjar Shaakhmedov.
It was not a smooth season for the Turtles at all which saw coach Irfan Bakti quit the team in mid-season. His place was taken over by his assistant Nafuzi Zain. The former international has been made the head coach for the new 2020 season.
Others dropped include first-choice goalkeeper Wan Azraie Wan Teh who took over the stopper’s job after veteran Suffian Rahman, 41, died of a heart attack in August. RIZAL ABDULLAH
