Latest news with #Razlan
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Referee Razlan Joffri's ‘fingerprints' remain all over Malaysia Cup
Sri Pahang FC's coaching staff and supporters were surprised to hear that Razlan Joffri Ali (main image) had been nominated as the head referee for their Malaysia Cup final against Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) on April 26. Razlan was at the centre of one of the season's worst officiating controversies during a league match between Perak FC and JDT in November last year. To recap: Heading into the second half, JDT was already four goals up — two each from Romel Morales and Bergson. Things didn't go quite as smoothly after the break, and Arif Aiman Hanapi looked increasingly agitated. With five minutes left, a scuffle broke out between Arif Aiman and Tommy Mawas. Both were shown yellow cards. Many, including myself, believed Arif Aiman deserved a straight red. Shortly after, JDT was awarded a penalty. Bergson stepped up to complete his hattrick. Perak lost 5-0. Public backlash followed, prompting the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to investigate. It concluded that Razlan's decisions were flawed and issued an apology to Perak. Perak accepted it — not that they had much choice. Razlan was removed from officiating duties, both in amateur and top-level matches — though only for a while. There's something about Razlan and JDT. A local news portal (Majoriti) claimed that prior to that Perak game, Razlan had awarded seven penalties to JDT in five matches he officiated. That kind of statistic naturally fuels suspicion — which is why Sri Pahang's camp was uneasy. Appointing an official with no prior suspension for poor refereeing is not just about optics — it's fundamental. Ahead of the 2024/25 Malaysia Cup final, much had already been said about waning interest in our domestic competitions. Some blame the lack of competitiveness. Around 50,000 fans attended last week's final — far fewer than the 80,000 who used to pack the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. In a previous article, I argued that JDT's dominance is not to blame. We've seen similar trends in leagues like the Bundesliga and Serie A — yet fan attendance remains strong. The issue may instead lie with trust — or rather, the lack of it. Trust in league management. Trust in refereeing. When referees with a history of high-profile blunders are appointed to crucial matches, confidence in the integrity of the competition takes a hit. Controversial decisions — especially from a ref with past errors — invite criticism and dent the league's reputation. If Malaysian football is serious about regaining fan trust, it must prioritise reliable, consistent officiating. Because fans can accept losing. What they can't accept is winning — or losing — under a cloud of doubt. It's hard to celebrate a cup when greasy fingerprints are all over it. The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of Twentytwo13.
New Straits Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
FAM praise ref Razlan's 'spot-on' decisions in Malaysia Cup final
KUALA LUMPUR: The FA of Malaysia (FAM) believe referee Razlan Joffri Ali did an excellent job officiating the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Sri Pahang on Saturday. The association insisted Razlan's decisions during the match, which JDT won 2-1 to retain their title, were spot on. FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram, who also heads the referees' committee, said an in-depth review of Razlan's performance showed the official was in control throughout the Malaysia Cup final at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. "According to the referee assessor's report, Razlan managed the match to a high standard, and none of his decisions influenced the final outcome," said Sivasundaram after reviewing reports from FAM's referees' unit and referees' performance committee. "Both the referees' unit and the performance committee analysed the match and confirmed that the second yellow cards — which resulted in send-offs for both teams — were issued correctly under FIFA's Laws of the Game 2024-25. "The penalty awarded to JDT and the disallowed goal for offside were also the right calls. "Every major incident was reviewed properly by VAR, and VAR protocol was followed to an excellent standard." Sivasundaram added that all key match incidents were judged fairly in accordance with the rules. "It's only human to make small mistakes, but none affected the final result. Both teams had an equal chance of winning, and it was down to them to decide the outcome. "FAM remains fully committed to upholding refereeing standards and will never compromise on officiating quality," he said.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Good job ref Razlan, say FAM
Pahang's Sergio Aguero receiving a red card during the Malaysia Cup final match against JDT at National Stadium, Bukit Jalil. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) have given referee Razlan Joffri Ali the thumbs up for his role in officiating the Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Pahang despite criticism from fans on Saturday. Deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram, who is also the FAM referees committee chairman said the conclusion was made after a review. "The Referee Evaluator's report shows that Razlan's handling of the match demonstrated good performance, which did not affect the final outcome of the match," he said. "The FAM Referees Unit and the FAM Referees Performance Committee have also conducted a match analysis and found that the second yellow card decision (order to leave the field) given to both teams was accurate according to the FIFA Laws of the Game 2024-2025. "The penalty decision awarded to the JDT team and the decision to cancel a JDT goal for an offside foul were both accurate," said Sivasundram. "Each incident in the match was reviewed accurately by the VAR (Video Assistant Referee) referee, and the level of compliance with the VAR protocol was excellent." Sivasundaram also concluded that every 'key match incident' in the match was adjudicated correctly according to FIFA's laws of the game. "It is human nature to make mistakes, but these did not significantly affect the final outcome of the match. "Both teams had equal opportunities to be crowned champions, and it was determined by the teams themselves. FAM are very committed to the quality of referee performance and have never compromised on referee standards." Fans questioned some of the calls made by Razlan especially the penalty given to JDT and even Pahang coach Fandi Ahmad was disappointed that VAR did not check JDT's winning goal by Arif Aiman Hanapi, alleging that he was slightly offside.
New Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia to host Series A karate event
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will host the Karate 1 Series A competition for the first time at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 3-5. Malaysian Karate Federation (MAKAF) general secretary Razlan Shah Mohamad Rabii credited World Karate Federation (WKF) Executive Committee member, Tun Dr Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam, for helping secure the hosting rights. "Tun Ali lobbied for the Series A (event) to be held in Malaysia and it will be held in Kuala Lumpur for the first time this year," said Razlan. Razlan added that hosting the event will give Malaysian karatekas the opportunity to earn valuable ranking points. "The Karate 1 Premier League is for athletes ranked one to 30, while Series A (events) are for 31st and below. These two competitions are mostly held aboard in Europe and are costly for our athletes to compete in," said Razlan. "To reach the Premier League, we need our athletes to be in the top 30 of the rankings. We need to expose them to higher level competitions and hosting the Series A will be a good platform for them to gain ranking points." MAKAF plans to field a large squad for the tournament, including senior and Under-21 exponents. "We will send as many exponents as possible to compete in the event here, including those from the Under-21 squad," said Razlan. "Due to funding constraints we often had to pick and choose for competitions abroad and it limits the growth of our exponents. They rarely get a chance to test themselves against their peers, especially from Europe."
