Selangor Selection players with the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup trophy at Merdeka Stadium after defeating Singapore 2-1. — Photos: Bernama
Merdeka Stadium reverberated with joy as Selangor secured a 2-1 victory over Singapore to retain the Sultan of Selangor’s Cup for the third time running.
The last time the two sides met at the iconic venue was 1981.
The 20th edition of the Cup was particularly significant because it marked the reopening of the historical stadium following an eight-year restoration and return of the annual competition following a four-year hiatus.
While it was a special night for all fans of the Southeast Asian El Clasico, the delight would ultimately belong to the home crowd as Selangor clinched both the Veteran and Selection titles.
Rain throughout the evening did little to dampen the spirits of players or enthusiasm of the 20,000 fans packing the stadium.
They were treated to an engaging curtain-raiser featuring veteran players such as Selangor’s Datuk Santokh Singh and Datuk Soh Chin Aun going up against the likes of Singapore’s Fandi Ahmad.
The first goal of the match came early, in the third minute, when Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan powered a shot into the net after receiving a well-timed pass from Ashrof Hanafiah.
Selangor extended their lead in the second half with a beautifully lobbed shot by Asmawi Bakiri in the 17th minute.
Singapore managed to pull one back during injury time courtesy of Mohamed Noor Ali but it was not enough to stop Selangor Veteran’s 2-1 victory.
The event also featured a dramatic opening ceremony, with three members of the Police Air Wing Unit parachuting onto the pitch before presenting the main match ball to Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and triggering a spectacular three-minute long fireworks display around the stadium.
Veteran artiste Datuk Jamal Abdillah kept the crowd entertained during match intervals.
The main Selection match saw Selangor’s winger Faisal Halim donning the captain’s armband for the first time this season.
A masked Faisal in action. — Photos: Bernama
Though Faisal was a constant threat to the Lions throughout the first half, his best effort grazed the top of the crossbar during injury time.
Eight strategic substitutions by Selangor’s head coach Nidzam Jamil, including replacing Faisal, injected new energy into the squad in the second half.
Selangor began to dominate possession and created multiple scoring opportunities.
The breakthrough finally came in the 82nd minute when substitute Ronnie Fernandez scored to put the state ahead.
Just as the crowd was rallying for the home team to push forward, Singapore managed to equalise five minutes later through Faris Ramli’s header.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Selangor was awarded a penalty and Alvin Fortes, who had been a constant presence throughout the second half, stepped up to take the shot.
Although his initial attempt was saved by Singapore’s goalkeeper Mohd Syazwan Buhari, Fortes reacted quickly to score on the rebound, securing a 2-1 win.
This marked Selangor’s 10th overall win since the competition’s inception in 2001.
Next, Selangor FC will face Johor Darul Ta’zim FC in the FA Cup final on Aug 24.
