Kelantan Red Warrior FC returned to the hunt for a top-five finish in the A1 Semi-Pro League after producing an emphatic 4-0 victory over Manjung City FC at Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV, Kota Bharu, last night.
Head coach Irfan Bakti named his strongest available side, and the Red Warriors dominated large portions of the match in front of nearly 1,000 supporters.
First-Half Blitz
Captain Arham Khussyairi opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a powerful header from an excellent Emmanuel Mbarga cross.
Two minutes later, Phillip Dandada Musa doubled the home side’s advantage after a weak defensive header from Manjung City FC fell kindly for him, allowing a clean volley past goalkeeper Ahmad Nasrullah.
KRWFC then went into halftime with a commanding three-goal lead after Manjung City FC conceded a penalty from a foul on Phillip Dandada Musa. Zuasyraf Zulkiefle stepped up and made no mistake from the spot.
Second-Half Control
Kelantan Red Warrior FC continued to press after the restart. Fazli Ghazali came close after connecting with a Mbarga pass, while Musa also tested the visiting defence with a powerful attempt that missed the target.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 65th minute when Latiff Suhaimi was shown a straight red card following a professional foul to stop a counter-attack. Manjung City FC then threw more players forward in search of a response, but KRWFC remained composed at the back.
Mbarga Seals It
The Red Warriors completed the victory in the 82nd minute through another sharp counter-attack. Phillip Dandada Musa delivered a clever pass that released Emmanuel Mbarga behind the defence, and the striker calmly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 4-0.
The result moved Irfan Bakti’s men up one place to sixth in the table with 41 points from 23 matches. With one game in hand, KRWFC remain in with a strong chance of breaking into the top five.
A dominant performance, a clean sheet, and a statement win — exactly what the Red Warriors needed at this stage of the season.
