Latest news with #KL
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
KL down Immigration to break 26-year opening-day curse
That's mine: Kuala Lumpur's Kamal Azizi (left) vying for the ball with Immigration's Aiman Yusni during their Super League match. — Bernama PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur have finally broken their opening-day curse by ending a 26-year wait for a first league match win with a 3-0 victory over Immigration at the Batu Kawan Stadium in Penang yesterday. The City Boys' last win in a top-flight season opener came in 1999 when they beat Brunei. KL drew first blood in the 31st minute, via a stroke of luck, when Immigration captain Rizal Ghazali inadvertently turned Gorka Larrucea's through ball into his own net. Safawi Rasid doubled KL's lead in the 56th minute with a bullet header off an indirect free-kick from Manuel Hidalgo. Hidalgo then converted a penalty in the 86th minute which was awarded after Zhafri Yahya was adjudged to have been fouled by Rafael Holstein after a video assistant referee (VAR) check by referee Mohd Shukor Zulkiflee. KL coach Risto Vidakovic said that although he was satisfied with the result, there were still a few areas that the players needed to work on. 'I'm pleased with the result but not so much with the players, as they still have things to improve on,' he said. 'The team didn't play the way we wanted, but they tried. The weather was also a factor.' As for Immigration coach Yusri Che Lah, he wants his charges to bounce back when they take on Kelantan at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium on Tuesday. 'We failed to convert two penalties but the players made a good effort. Now they need to evaluate themselves before the next match.'
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Immigration hope Pedro can be passport to a breakthrough
PETALING JAYA: Former Sabah striker Joao Pedro (pic) is back in the Super League after a stint in Vietnam. But this time, the Brazilian has a more challenging role to fulfil – to help strengthen newcomers Immigration as they take on the big guns in the top flight. And Pedro and Immigration's first test comes in the form of Kuala Lumpur – one of the clubs reported to have been tracking him during the transfer window – at the Batu Kawan Stadium today. Immigration were the last to start pre-season among all the clubs but have made the signings they wanted while the City Boys have a string of high-profile buys and are seen as dark horses in the title chase. Pedro is respectful of KL's quality but he remains confident in his new side's focus. 'KL have made good signings and they're a strong team but even so, we are committed to our targets and also to delivering our best on the field,'' said the 25-year-old who hails from Pelotas in southern Brazil. Pedro is also looking forward to linking up with fellow Brazilian forward Rafael Holstein, with whom he expects to strike a strong understanding on the pitch. 'For sure it's the best thing. As Brazilians, we can have a very good connection. Speaking the same language helps a lot in the 90 minutes.' The Immigration squad could soon also have a distinctly Brazilian core, with midfielder Pedro Santos and defender Vinicius Milani both rumoured to be on their way in the current window. After a productive stint with Sabah in 2024, where he scored eight goals and provided one assist in just 15 domestic matches, the 1.86m (6'1'') tall Pedro moved to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City in January. He managed three goals in 10 appearances there following an earlier spell with Viettel. Pedro's career has taken him across continents from a journeyman start in Brazil where he played for 11 clubs since his debut with Farroupilha at 17, to Vietnam and now back to a league where he found form and familiarity. As Immigration prepare for their debut in the top division, they will be hoping their new striker can once again find the spark that made him one of Sabah's brightest lights last season.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Gallifuoco expects tougher, longer season for KL City and M-League rivals
KUALA LUMPUR: KL City centre-back Giancarlo Gallifuoco knows exactly what's coming when the 2025-2026 M-League season kicks off today — and he's ready for the challenge. The 31-year-old Australian believes this campaign will be one of the most demanding yet, truly testing every team's depth and discipline. "Every season that I've been here, it's been tough, but this year I think the league is probably going to be one of the strongest," said Gallifuoco on Episode 62 of Timesport: On the Beat. "I think there are a lot of good teams, a lot of squads that have improved. The season is a bit longer this year as well, which is going to test clubs." The former Australia Under-23 international joined KL City in 2021 and has since made 114 appearances, scoring four goals and providing one assist. He was a vital part of the side that lifted the Malaysia Cup in 2021, finished runners-up in the 2022 AFC Cup, and narrowly missed out on the FA Cup in 2023. But after several seasons of competing for silverware, KL are now in transition following a string of high-profile exits and coaching changes. Still, Gallifuoco isn't shying away from the grind ahead. "I'm excited for it. I think we've got a good group of players. We're a bit of a new-look team, so we've been finding our feet through the pre-season," he said. "The new staff have done an excellent job getting the players to understand the style and how they want to play. That's been enjoyable to work with, and the players have bought into it." He stressed that rebuilding takes time, but he's hopeful KL City will find their rhythm quickly once the fixtures begin. "The expectation is always to go out there and give everything for the team. The players are committed to that. Now it's just about getting into a rhythm and being consistent." Gallifuoco also believes KL City's strength this season may lie not in individual star power, but in the collective identity the squad is building. "We've got a good balance, and it's about how we go out there and impose ourselves. Some other teams have superstars, but that doesn't always mean success. Sometimes it's about who is the best 'team', and that's something we can lean into." With the revamped season expected to feature a tighter schedule and stiffer competition, Gallifuoco knows adaptability will be key, especially for a club trying to regain its footing. "We're not at the top of the food chain in terms of budget, so we have to do things the right way. I think we're laying the foundations for a good season." KL City will open their Super League campaign on Saturday (Aug 9) against newly promoted Immigration FC.
News18
4 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Moeen Ali Praises 33-Year-Old Indian Batter, Says 'He's One Of The Best In The World'
The 33-year-old right-handed batter played all five Tests in the recently concluded series against England and, with the help of two centuries and two fifties, scored 532 runs. Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali has reserved big praise for Indian Test opener KL Rahul by saying that the 33-year-old right-handed batter from Karnataka is one of the best players in the world. Rahul played all five matches for India in the recently concluded five-match series against England and, with the help of two centuries and two half-centuries, scored a total of 532 runs as opening batter. While speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast, Moeen said that fans don't realise how good Rahul is as an opening batter, and he also praised him for his brilliant show with the bat in the away series. 'I think people don't realise how good KL (Rahul) in particular is at opening the batting. He was brilliant last series as well in England, and he's brilliant again this series. I actually think Shubman (Gill) scored the most runs and was outstanding, brilliant technique. But I thought KL's role within that side was probably the best I have seen him play over the… He's such a good player. I genuinely believe that he's one of the best players in the world, and I have said that for a while. Like, sometimes I just feel like he doesn't take the handbrake off, like, just free up a bit more, but generally I would say he's one of the best players in the world," he said. In the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, Rahul scored a century in the second innings of the first Test played at Headingley in Leeds from June 20 to 24, and he also crossed the triple-figure mark in the first innings of the Lord's Test. However, his centuries went in vain on both occasions as India suffered a heartbreaking defeat. The century in the Lord's Test, however, helped Rahul enter his name in the history books. He became the first Indian opener and overall second batter after Dilip Vengsarkar to score multiple Test centuries at Lord's. During his playing days for India in the late 1970s and 1980s, Vengsarkar scored three Test centuries at the Home of Cricket. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Cancer Diaries: When my radiotherapy is delayed and my recurrence risk looms
AUG 6 — I thought my radiotherapy treatments would have started by now but alas, as The Rolling Stones song goes, 'You can't always get what you want.' Called up KL General Hospital and was told they don't have me scheduled yet and even worse, the treatment machine is broken. I am mildly unhappy about it because the ideal timeframe for my radiotherapy to begin was within 8-12 weeks post-surgery and now it looks like I will miss that window. Still, I can count my blessings. I'm continuing my immunotherapy, have already started hormone blockers and those treatments should be enough to reduce my recurrence risk and keep microscopic cancer cells in check for a while. Doing the numbers on paper I'm still in a good place especially as I did get a pathological complete response (PCR) after surgery and my lymph nodes have also tested negative. In other news, I tried to pay my bills online last week. For all of a few minutes I found myself terrified as I had forgotten how to do it. This was something I did every month or even every few weeks, for decades, but somehow I had forgotten how to do an online transfer. 'What do I do? Where is the button?' Perhaps this delay could be a blessing in disguise. — Freepik pic For a very brief moment I understood just why some people get meltdowns over tech, especially if it's new. The reality is also this — that a lot of tech, web design included, is just not intuitive. As someone who learned to use an IBM PC from a very young age, have an IT systems degree, briefly taught IT applications and used to assemble my own desktop PCs, to not know how to do a simple online transaction floored me. One of my 'cancer friends' (as I call them) reached out online and told me this was fairly normal with the disease. Something people don't realise is that the mind needs just as much exercise as the body. I was trying to memorise a list of traditional Chinese characters and could feel my head getting hot. Maybe it's age. Maybe it's still my being in recovery from a chronic illness, but things that didn't seem like they needed conscious effort now need more of it. I've gotten a little more mobile in the last couple of weeks but going up and down stairs still involves a lot of hissing and not-so-silent cursing. Perhaps this delay could be a blessing in disguise. It does give me time to do more rehab exercises and when I do start radiotherapy perhaps I'll be less exhausted. There are still two immunotherapy sessions as well as an echocardiogram to look forward to in August so I guess it's time to get started on weight training now. As weakened as my mind and body seem to be I can still hold hope that they will get better and all I need to do is keep waking up, keep trying and getting on with the wondrously mundane business of life.
