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KUALA LUMPUR - Kuala Lumpur City FC (KL City) head coach Datuk Dollah Salleh described the player crisis affecting his team as the first such experience in his football career.
KL City began their 2026-2027 Super League campaign against Kuching City FC at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras here last night with only 10 players and one substitute before suffering a 0-6 defeat.
The situation arose following player registration problems, in addition to health issues involving 13 players and two team officials who were reported to have contracted influenza.
"This has never happened in my life. This is the first time I have gone through such a situation. For the past few days, I have been constantly thinking about it to the extent that people around me could see that I was uneasy.
"The result was actually expected based on what happened to KL City. In the first half, we played with 10 men, but the players gave their maximum,” said the former national team coach at the post-match press conference.
According to Dollah, although both teams played 10 against 10 after Kuching City captain James Okwuosa was shown a red card in the 44th minute, his players were already exhausted in the second half after working hard throughout the opening period.
He said his 23 years of coaching experience had not prepared him for such a situation, while the lack of options on the bench forced him to instruct the team to defend more in an effort to avoid a heavier defeat.
"I feel sorry for the players because they had already given their best. In such circumstances, I could not criticise them too much. We just encouraged them to keep defending and not concede more goals,” he said.
Dollah said KL City had to continue the match as failing to take the field could have resulted in more serious implications, including the risk of affecting the club’s position in the Super League.
Under the Laws of the Game 2026/27 set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and adopted by FIFA, a team must have at least seven players on the field to start or continue a match.
In a separate development, Dollah said he had been informed that the transfer ban imposed on KL City by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) had been lifted, allowing the team to register players for their next match.
"The president (of the club) announced it himself and we have received clearance. Insya-Allah, this can no longer be used as an excuse in the next match,” said Dollah, who wants the team to bounce back in their match against DPMM FC here this Saturday.
Earlier, KL City’s opening match against Negeri Sembilan FC at Stadium Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Paroi, last Saturday could not be played after the visiting side failed to field a team due to player registration issues.
As a result, the Malaysian Football League (MFL) awarded Negeri Sembilan a 3-0 victory and three points, while fining KL City RM50,000. - BERNAMA
