NST Online: Sports

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 10:11 AM PDT

2011/06/12
By Zainuddin Muhammad

A Terengganu fan kisses the FA Cup trophy as captain Mohd Mazuki Yusof (second from left) looks on during the team's arrival at the Sultan Mahmud Airport yesterday. — Picture by Aswadi Alias

THOUSANDS of fans turned up at the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu yesterday afternoon to welcome the Terengganu team who returned with the FA Cup trophy after defeating Kelantan 2-1 at the National Stadium.

Winning the FA Cup after a lapse of 11 years, the players and team officials were joined by fans in a parade from the airport to the city, showing off the trophy to cheering supporters along the way.

The team ended their celebrations in the early evening at the Shahbandar Square where they were joined by thousands of more fans eager to pose with the trophy and shake hands with the FA Cup winners.

The "most sought after" player at the meet-the-fans session was Ahmad Nordin Alias who scored the winning goal for Terengganu in the 110th minute of extra time.

Surprised to be mobbed by the fans, the shy and soft-spoken 26-year-old midfielder said while the goal was personally special to him, he did not know that it would elevate him to hero status with the fans.

"That goal means the world to me as it was my first ever goal this season and as it turned out, it was also the goal that gave the FA Cup back to us.

"In the beginning, I was just happy to be on the bench but then after Kelantan took the lead, I was itching to get on the field and my chance came when coach Irfan (Bakti) gave me the signal to go in with about 20 minutes left in regulation time," he said.

The Marang-born player, who went in for Ismail Faruqi Ashaari, said he thought the match would end in Kelantan's favour before the own goal by Kelantan defender Daudsu Jamaluddin with barely a minute left on the clock.

"We came back from the dead and in extra-time we had re-newed hopes and we began to play with a little more purpose.

"Honestly speaking, the goal that I scored is a blur to me now as I only remember taking up position in the penalty box, found the ball at my feet and seconds later I heard the crowd roar, he said.

Ahmad Nordin, who used to play for Kuala Muda Naza before joining Terengganu in 2008, said he hoped that his cup-winning goal will influence the coach to play him more in future matches.

"I have been playing second fiddle to Ismail, Reeshafiq (Alwi), Ashaari (Samsuddin) and Joseph (Kallang Tie) for too long now and hopefully, I will get a chance to prove my worth again in the next two league matches.

"We have two crucial league matches against T-Team on Tuesday (tomorrow) and Felda United FC early next month and I hope I will be part of those matches too as I want to help my team win the league title too," said Ahmad Nordin, a graduate of Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Polytechnic in Dungun.

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Balotelli caught speeding in Milan

Posted: 12 Jun 2011 08:20 AM PDT

MILAN: Manchester City star Mario Balotelli has been fined and had points put on his driving licence after being caught speeding in Italy.

The 20-year-old, who has racked up STG10,000 (RM48,983) in parking fines in Manchester and had his car impounded dozens of times, was caught in central Milan doing 80kph in a 30kph zone in his Mercedes S65AMG.

Police fined him E380 and docked him five points, plus another five points for failing to register blacked-out windows in the car's logbook.

Since the season ended, Balotelli has been involved in a scuffle with a group of men outside a Milan nightclub and been shown around a drug-ridden estate in Naples by the mafia.

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Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Ahad, 12 Jun 2011

NST Online: Sports

NST Online: Sports

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