Former champion Kedah have set a modest target of reaching the semifinals when the Malaysia Cup kicks off on Aug 20.
Kedah Youth and Sports, Culture, Heritage and Non Governmental Organisations committee chairman Aminuddin Omar who set the target said achieving the target was important to revive the Kedah's football which has slipped from the peak after winning the treble in the 2006/2007 season.
Kedah who will be facing familiar foes, at least as far as the coaches are concerned, are drawn in Group D against Super League champion Lions XII from Singapore which is coached by V. Sundramoorthy, Perak who are under Mohd Azraai Khor, a former Kedah coach and Sarawak who are now also under former Kedah coach Robert Alberts.
"Sundramoorthy played for Kedah in the late 1980s while Mohd Azraai and Alberts had also coached Kedah before. Our former coach Datuk Ahmad Shafie who had guided Kedah to success in the 1980s has been given the task to revive the glory days of football in Kedah," he told reporters, here, Wednesday.
Aminuddin said the election of Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir as the new president of the Kedah Football Association (KFA) is also expected to boost the spirit and confidence of the players.
"The President has pledged his support and commitment to develop football in the state. That itself will be an impetus for the players to do well and return to the Super League," he said.
Kedah will be playing in the 2014 Premier League season for the second consecutive year after managing only fourth place in the recently concluded 2013 league competition.
"Lack of quality players is seen as the main reason for a drop in results for Kedah," he said.
Kedah Youth and Sports, Culture, Heritage and Non Governmental Organisations committee chairman Aminuddin Omar who set the target said achieving the target was important to revive the Kedah's football which has slipped from the peak after winning the treble in the 2006/2007 season.
Kedah who will be facing familiar foes, at least as far as the coaches are concerned, are drawn in Group D against Super League champion Lions XII from Singapore which is coached by V. Sundramoorthy, Perak who are under Mohd Azraai Khor, a former Kedah coach and Sarawak who are now also under former Kedah coach Robert Alberts.
"Sundramoorthy played for Kedah in the late 1980s while Mohd Azraai and Alberts had also coached Kedah before. Our former coach Datuk Ahmad Shafie who had guided Kedah to success in the 1980s has been given the task to revive the glory days of football in Kedah," he told reporters, here, Wednesday.
Aminuddin said the election of Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir as the new president of the Kedah Football Association (KFA) is also expected to boost the spirit and confidence of the players.
"The President has pledged his support and commitment to develop football in the state. That itself will be an impetus for the players to do well and return to the Super League," he said.
Kedah will be playing in the 2014 Premier League season for the second consecutive year after managing only fourth place in the recently concluded 2013 league competition.
"Lack of quality players is seen as the main reason for a drop in results for Kedah," he said.
