Fandi, Johor also raging at the haze

KLUANG — The haze has been fair to everyone.

Just as it forced the LionsXII to train indoors yesterday, the smoggy fog that is currently sweeping across Malaysia is also hampering Johor Darul Takzim’s preparations for Saturday’s clash.

Visibility has been poor at the Kluang Municipal Stadium, where Johor coach Fandi Ahmad has been holding his training sessions this past week because of its newly-laid artificial turf.

That is not all — the heat has been unbearable too.

“You can see how the haze has been affecting my training sessions,” said an exasperated Fandi.

“You really cannot see clearly and the weather is exceptionally hot. I have told my players to drink more water and take care of their health. It’s not good to train under such conditions. But what can we do? In Singapore, the condition is bad too. The only thing I can hope and ask for is for the haze to clear in the next few days.”

When asked if he thought the match should be postponed, Fandi said diplomatically: “The Football Association of Malaysia is in a better position to decide whether it’s safe to play a 90-minute match under such conditions. We will abide by whatever decisions they make,” he said.

And like the LionsXII, Johor are also having problems in defence. Fandi is keeping his fingers crossed that his central defender and skipper Kamarul Afiq Kamaruddin will recover in time from his knee injury.

“He has been playing with the help of painkiller injections lately,” he said. “It’s a pity, really, because he is such a talented player. To be saddled with such an injury is of no help to his budding career.”

Meanwhile, Johor’s Brazilian midfielder Andre Francisco has warned his team-mates of the tough battle ahead on Saturday.

“I was part of the Johor team which played the LionsXII in the Malaysia Cup last year and I can see that the Singaporeans are very comfortable on the pitch, while we were struggling,” he said.

“It will be tough on Saturday, too, because the LionsXII have got an even better team this time and have an unbeaten record to maintain. The incentive is there for them to raise their game.” DAN GUEN CHIN

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