PENANG Football Club and Selangor FC will contest in the final of the Piala Harapan 2023 at the State Stadium in Batu Kawan tomorrow night (Feb 4).
Penang FC, the hosts, swept aside Geylang International FC 4-0 on Wednesday while Selangor FC beat Kedah 6-5 on penalties after a 0-0 draw yesterday in the invitational quadrangular tournament at the same venue.
Geylang will take on Kedah in the third and fourth placing match at 5.45pm while Penang FC will entertain Selangor FC in the final at 9pm tomorrow.
Penang FC general manager Jeffrey Chew said he expected 10,000 fans to come and watch both matches tomorrow if the weather is good.
“On the first day we played against Geylang, we expected less than 200 people. But that night, close to 2,500 showed up. For Selangor versus Kedah, close to about 15,000 people showed up.
“I urge the fans to come out in droves. We are no longer selling physical tickets. We are now selling online; we started selling this morning. If you go to www.tickethotline.com.my, you can buy at RM20 to enjoy both games,” Chew told a press conference at Jen Hotel in George Town.
He also thanked all the sponsors, the three guest teams and the fans for coming forward to make the tournament a success.
Asked for his opinion of the two finalists, Chew said he has admiration for both teams.
“But I think Selangor has the edge. Penang has a number of new players. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” Chew said.
Penang FC team manager Ong Eng Hua said Selangor is always noted as a giant in Malaysian football.
“Last season, Selangor qualified for the Malaysia Cup final. And this is an honour for Penang FC to prepare in the pre-season for the Piala Harapan,” Ong said.
Selangor coach Tan Cheng Hoe said they are using the tournament as a preparation for the coming Malaysia Super League which they finished in fifth place last season.
“This competition will help us gauge our players’ fitness and understanding. We’re still looking for a foreign player to marshall our midfield.
“The Penang FC looks very positive from how they performed against Geylang. They are dangerous in their counterattacks, especially their No. 7 (Hassan Ali Saad of Jordan),” Tan commented.
During the appreciation dinner for the Piala Harapan 2023 teams, state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee thanked Penang governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak for gracing the function.
Soon added that he was also honoured to have Kedah Darul Aman FC, Selangor FC, and Geylang International FC from Singapore join Penang FC in making this ‘Piala Harapan’ even better and more enjoyable.
“During the pre-season of Malaysia Super League 2023, Penang FC wants to empower coaches, identify strengths and weaknesses of the players and strengthen the rapport among the players.
“In fact, this tournament also showcases Penang FC’s efforts to develop a good relationship with other football players from different states and countries.
“From this, I believe that we will be able to exchange ideas and knowledge regarding football. It is certain that such a platform can enliven the spirit and hope of all of us to perform better and obtain excellent results in the upcoming Malaysia Super League Season 2023.
“In a tournament or competition, winning or losing is not an important measure to determine the quality of a team. Instead, it is judged in terms of sportsmanship, unity, tolerance, the attitude of accepting disappointment and celebrating the victory,” Soon said in his speech.
Several sponsors, such as Penang Development Corporation, Consortium Zenith Construction, Total Protection Insurance Agency, Ken Property, TRA Holdings and Yenker Holdings, were later invited to present mock cheques to Soon for the tournament’s sponsorship.
Earlier, a lion troupe gave a spirited performance to welcome the arrival of the Penang governor and other dignitaries.
After the guests had seated, two ‘lions’ came prancing into the banquet hall, enlivening the Chinese New Year spirit.
And before the buffet dinner started, the players, officials, coaches and guests were all invited to stand and take part in the ‘yee sang’ tossing ceremony – a first-time experience for many of the delighted local and foreign players.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Siew Chia En