KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — The Charity Shield (Piala Sumbangsih) 2024/2025 match between Super League defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim and Selangor FC at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor will run as scheduled this Friday (May 9).
Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive officer Datuk Stuart Ramalingam said the 2024/2025 Malaysian League (M-League) opener will not be postponed due to Selangor winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim's recent unfortunate incident.
“So far, the match will be played as scheduled on Friday. The MFL has not received any request from the teams to postpone this match. If there is any latest development, we will announce it,” he said in Petaling Jaya recently.
JDT are eyeing to defend the Charity Shield or the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup for the seventh consecutive time, while Selangor are looking to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2010.
It was speculated that the Friday match would be postponed after Faisal suffered an acid attack, believed to have occurred at a shopping mall in the Klang Valley, on Sunday (May 5). The incident left him with fourth-degree burns, and he had to be warded in the Intensive Care Unit.
It was the second unfortunate incident to happen to a Harimau Malaya player after Terengganu FC's Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid suffered head and body injuries after being attacked by two robbers near his home in Kuala Terengganu on Thursday (May 2).
Meanwhile, Stuart dismissed the wild speculations that arose following the attacks on the two national players, including the involvement of match-fixing syndicates.
“Bookie (connection) is among the rumours that have arisen, but I do not think that is directly related.
"The M-League is a league that we respect, and everyone, including the players, is working to ensure the integrity of the league is maintained,” he said.
Simultaneously, the MFL will increase the level of security control throughout the M-League competition, including for the supporters, to create a peaceful atmosphere during the match.
— Bernama
