The Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced that the 2022 Super League match between Sri Pahang FC VS Terengganu FC at the Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan on 5 March, 2022 (Saturday) had to be postponed after the Sri Pahang FC squad tested positive for COVID-19.
According to MFL Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Ramalingam, his party has received a report from the Sri Pahang FC representative today where a total of 20 players and officials have been infected with COVID-19.
Stuart explained that as a result of the incident, Sri Pahang, which will undergo a quarantine period starting today, had to apply for a postponement of the match against Selangor FC at the MBPJ Stadium on 8 March, 2022 (Tuesday) and the Malaysia FA Cup first round match against Manjung City FC at the Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan on 12 March 2022 (Saturday).
He added that UiTM FC also faced the same problem when 12 players tested positive for COVID-19 while the rest of the players had close contact status and saw the Premier League match against Terengganu FC II at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu on 5 March 2022 (Saturday) and the 2022 FA Cup match against Kuching City FC on March 15, 2022 (Tuesday) had to be postponed.
Meanwhile, another team from the Malaysia Premier League, Perak FC confirmed a total of 6 players positive COVID-19 players and 14 close contact players with symptoms, thus the match against Kelantan United FC at the Perak Stadium, Ipoh on 5 March 2022 (Saturday) for Premier League action and meeting with Kijang Rangers FC at the same venue on 14 March 2022 (Monday) had to be postponed.
“MFL’s latest Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is that clubs are only eligible to apply for a match postponement if 50 per cent or more of the total main squad registrations of eligible officials and players registered on the day of the match are infected with COVID-19 outbreak or symptomatic close contact.” Stuart Ramalingam, MFL Chief Executive Officer said.
“Today we have received a report on the teams facing positive COVID-19 problems, among them are Sri Pahang FC, Perak FC and UiTM FC where the matches of these three teams had to be postponed until they complete the quarantine period.”
“It is very difficult news for the Malaysian League which opens its curtains tonight and tomorrow. I wish Sri Pahang FC, Perak FC, UiTM FC, PDRM FC and the FAM-MSN Project Squad well and I hope other teams always adopt the SOP to ensure that unwanted incidents occur in the future.”
“MFL would like to express its appreciation to the clubs that took swift action on the issue of COVID-19 and this proves that the SOP involving football is supervised at the highest level to ensure the Malaysia League industry is free from the threat of this epidemic,” he said in an official statement.”
Yesterday, MFL announced two Premier League 2022 matches, namely the Selangor 2 match and the FAM-MSN Project Squad at the UiTM Shah Alam Stadium on 5 March 2022 (Saturday) and PDRM FC against Kuching City FC at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Cheras on 7 March 2022 (Monday) ) had to be postponed.
This is because MFL has received an application from PDRM FC to postpone the match where one coach and 14 of their players were found to be positive and close contact was lacking while two coaches and all players of the FAM-MSN Project Squad also suffered the same fate.
The 2022 FA Cup match schedule which found the FAM-MSN Project Squad and Tok Janggut Warriors FC at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Cheras on 11 March 2022 (Friday) and the PDRM FC meeting with Perlis United at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium on 15 March (Tuesday) had to delayed.
Credit Photo : Sri Pahang FC
