Kedah Darul Aman (KDA) FC named three well-known influencers as ambassadors to help promote the club and raise funds for it to pay the players’ overdue wages, including its former coach, Rosle Md Derus.
“We will look at ways to start paying players their overdue salary. This includes former staff. We can’t pay the full amount, but will pay in instalments,” said KDA FC majority owner, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar (main image).
Twentytwo13, on Jan 23, reported that Rosle, who was formerly KDA FC’s Under-23 head coach, had been left in a lurch – as he is still waiting for his salary, amounting to nine months, owed by his previous employer. He is now without a team. Rosle claims KDA FC owes him slightly over RM100,000.
According to a letter from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) sighted by Twentytwo13, if KDA FC fails to pay Rosle within 30 days of receiving his banking details, the team “will not be able to register its players at the national or international level for three consecutive registration periods”.
This decision was made by the Status Committee, chaired by Datuk Joehari Ayub, following a meeting on Nov 27, 2024. Joehari is the new FAM president.
Separately, Daud said the club will name its global ambassador, a former Portuguese international who played in a Fifa World Cup, after Hari Raya.
The three local ambassadors revealed this evening at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur were Mohd Iqbal (CEO Batu), Mohd Irshad Shafiq (CEO Bieziy) and Hanifah Md Hanafiah (Black Hanifah). Combined, the Kedah-born trio have nearly 2.3 million followers on TikTok. CEO Batu has 1.6 million followers, followed by Black Hanifah (498,000), while CEO Bieziy has (195,400).
The three of them will attend matches and other KDA FC programmes to drum up interest, help push products to supporters, and attract more fans to the stadium.
“We have two options – do nothing, or do something to help raise funds for the club. So, we are trying something new,” said Mohd Daud, who denied that the club had considered pulling out of the domestic league due to funding issues.
The northern state club also unveiled telecommunications service provider Beone Prepaid as its strategic partner.
