Kelantan The Real Warriors (TRW) celebrated a hard-fought home victory after edging Melaka FC 2–1 in a rain-drenched Liga Super Malaysia encounter at Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV, Kota Bharu.
Despite the challenging weather, the visitors from Melaka nearly stunned the home crowd early on when Muhammad Sharel Fikri Md Fauzi unleashed a powerful strike in the third minute, forcing an alert response from the Kelantan defence.
Just four minutes later, Melaka’s Aiman Danish came close again, but his effort flew over the bar after failing to capitalize on a rebound from Sharel’s earlier attempt.
Kelantan then began to settle into rhythm, with Muhammad Farris Izdiham Awang Kechik rising for a strong header in the 12th minute, only to be denied by Melaka goalkeeper Muhammad Haziq Aiman Mohd Esa. Moments later, Asraff Alifuddin’s long-range strike in the 28th minute failed to find the target.
At the other end, Kelantan’s Bulgarian shot-stopper Damyan Damyanov showcased his sharp reflexes in the 32nd minute, diving acrobatically to palm away Nizarruddin Jazi’s curling effort.
The breakthrough finally came in the 37th minute when an unfortunate own goal by Melaka’s Nigerian defender Onyekachi Ozor — who accidentally deflected Syahir Saiful Nizam’s cross into his own net — handed Kelantan a crucial 1–0 lead heading into halftime.
Melaka pushed hard for an equalizer after the restart, with Abdul Azim Rahim going close in the 63rd minute, but his curling shot sailed narrowly wide.
Kelantan, however, doubled their advantage late in the match when Danial Haqim found the back of the net in the 88th minute, sending the home supporters into celebration.
Drama unfolded in stoppage time when Azwan Arifin was shown a red card following a VAR review that confirmed a foul inside the box. The referee, Mohamad Kamil Zakaria Ismail, awarded a penalty to Melaka, which Juan Da Silva coolly converted for a consolation goal.
Despite the late setback, Kelantan TRW held firm to secure all three points, marking a vital win that lifts team morale in their Liga Super Malaysia 2025/26 campaign
Credit Photo : Melaka FC
