Final 1st Leg Press Conference in Full

Selangor FC and Pahang Rangers FC faced the media at Stadium Tertutup SUKPA, Kuantan, on Friday 23 October, the evening before the MPFL 2026 Final 1st Leg. This is the press conference in full, lightly edited for clarity.

Selangor FC: Edgar Baldasso and Mohd Khairul

Selangor head coach Edgar Baldasso and captain Mohd Khairul took the first session.

Question: A few words on tomorrow's final?

Mohd Khairul: This is the first MPFL final at SUKPA, so of course I am excited and cannot wait for tomorrow's match. We at Selangor finished our league campaign unbeaten, but that is no guarantee that we will win the final. So, God willing, we will give our best and bring a result back to Selangor.

Edgar Baldasso: As I said before about games between big teams, we know that playing here they have strong support pushing them all the time. But we have prepared our team throughout this season, not just for the last match, and I can see our team improving at this moment. There is no miracle needed. We have prepared well by understanding what is important in our game, how to play and how to have a balanced game. If we can repeat that tomorrow, minute by minute, I think we have a good chance. But we understand that it starts 50-50 and it is an open game. I think we understand our own qualities, which can give us an advantage tomorrow, and that is my message to my players.

Question: You come into this game with a perfect winning record this season. Does that give you extra confidence?

Edgar Baldasso: It is nice, because game by game we had one target, which is to win. But it does not really change anything in our minds, because tomorrow, whether we have won 100 games or 10, we start from zero. What we have won so far is in the past. The finished games are in the past. Tomorrow we start from zero, so the most important moment is tomorrow. The first minute. And after that, we start to prepare for the second minute. We are not expecting easy things, because we know how difficult it is to play here. So yes, great numbers, but they are in the past now. Now it is 50-50, and a good mindset and a strong mentality are the most important things.

Question: What is the biggest threat from Pahang Rangers?

Edgar Baldasso: They are showing a good quality game. They won against the current champions, and that is not easy, both away and at home. It shows how well they can play. They have Souza, who is among the top scorers every year, and this year once again. Rodriguinho, and all the players. So we know their quality and we are prepared. We understand that they will create problems for us during the game. The point is how we solve those moments. We need to survive during the game, and we need calm to do that.

Question: It is always a tense game. Do you expect the same this time?

Edgar Baldasso: What I hope for is a good game for us, but I know that is not the reality. What is more normal is a very balanced game. So I hope we can take our opportunities, keep our balance and defend very strongly. What happened in recent years changes nothing for tomorrow. Nothing. I am really confident, because I can see it in our team and our players. We arrive understanding what is important in a final. Sometimes the most attractive games have already been played. Now is the moment to understand what is important, how we channel our energy and how we finish with a good score.

Question: Playing at SUKPA, what about the pressure from the supporters, and how is morale?

Mohd Khairul: I have played at SUKPA a few times and, to be honest, I like the atmosphere at SUKPA. So there is no problem for me playing here, and that kind of atmosphere is not hard to find at any venue. God willing, with the support of the Selangor fans and the other fans, we will play well.

Question: How is the understanding among the players?

Mohd Khairul: All the players are excited and cannot wait to play tomorrow. We have been together as a team not just this season but for about four years, so we already know each other as players. What we can give tomorrow is to follow the coach's plan. We have to understand what we have and use it tomorrow.

Question: How do you approach the first leg of the final away from home?

Mohd Khairul: We know this format. Abroad they have always used it. It is a 50-50 chance. If we win here, it does not guarantee that we will win at home. On the positive side, it is more challenging, and the league is more competitive.

Question: Coach, will the new format change your approach for the first leg?

Edgar Baldasso: I like how the competition is. Certainly, if it was like last year, it would have been better for us to finish it already. But this model is nice, because we have one game in front of each full house, so the supporters are more involved. And until the last second there is emotion for whoever is watching. You have a great show on MPFL TV. The most important thing here is local futsal. I have been here for four years and every year we are improving a lot. What is happening on the court is improving very fast. In this model, until the last second, we can see many things. We prepare to start well, and if possible a win or a good score is the first step.

Question: A final word for the fans coming tomorrow and watching live on YouTube?

Edgar Baldasso: Hi everyone. Tomorrow is our first match, here away, and you know it will be a big challenge. Your support has always been very important. It is the moment to enjoy this season and what we have built so far, and together we will play much stronger and have more chance. This Saturday is here in Pahang and next Saturday is at our home. We really hope to have a great event, a great game, and to celebrate with you. Thank you all and see you tomorrow.

Mohd Khairul: Thank you very much to the Selangor fans and to our families, who always support us. For this first final, I hope the Selangor fans can come here, and for those who cannot, we always hope for your support. God willing, we will do our best in this first final and in the second final at home. I hope all the fans will come to support our players, and God willing we will bring the MPFL title back to Selangor.

Pahang Rangers FC: Eloy Alonso and Akmarulnizam

Pahang Rangers head coach Eloy Alonso and captain Akmarulnizam took the second session.

Question: Coach, can we talk about tomorrow's final?

Eloy Alonso: Tomorrow's first game is a big reward for us, to be in this big final after this season. This is our first season together in this new project and for us it has been an amazing season. Little by little we improved together, both individually and as a team. For us it is very special to be in this final.

Akmarulnizam: For tomorrow, the first final, we are playing at home. My teammates and I are ready for the final.

Eloy Alonso: We know Selangor are the main favourites after an amazing regular season. They are at their peak after four years of working together very well, with 80 per cent of the players together for the last three or four years. They proved to everyone that they are a great team. So we know it is very difficult, but we worked very well this year, little by little, step by step, from one final to the next, as I always say to the players. In the semi-final we put in an amazing performance against JDT, the defending champions. After that, it became extra motivation for us, with the belief that we can compete face to face with Selangor, and we will see. We are only thinking about the next game, and for us the final is tomorrow. We are confident that we can do it.

Question: What is Selangor's main strength, and how do you prepare the team mentally to face them?

Eloy Alonso: All of Selangor's players are amazing, playing at a high level with a lot of experience. Their local players have plenty of experience in the Malaysian league and with the national team, and I know both of their foreign players are at the very top level in the world. Marlon is a World Cup champion. So all of their players are very dangerous. I always tell the players that every minute is the final chance to decide this final, so we must focus for the full 40 minutes.

Question: The head-to-head record has not favoured Pahang Rangers this season. Is that an advantage for Selangor, and how do you handle it?

Akmarulnizam: If we look at the record, Selangor have won everything this season, and they also won the previous game at SUKPA. But for this final I am expecting something different. We are ready from the start.

Question: What are your hopes for the supporters?

Akmarulnizam: My hope is that they keep supporting us, no matter what happens. I expect a full house tomorrow, and we will give our best for the supporters.

Question: How is the players' morale?

Akmarulnizam: After our semi-final against Johor, the momentum is there and everyone is ready. We are excited for the final.

Question: Any injuries among your key players?

Eloy Alonso: Some players have some pain, some problems. But to play in a big final, everyone makes an extra effort to be ready, and I hope everyone will be ready tomorrow.

Question: Does the two-leg format give either team an advantage?

Akmarulnizam: I think the format is good, because there is no advantage in being the first or the second home team. Even if we lose here, we still have a chance there.

Question: Does the format change your approach for the two legs?

Eloy Alonso: I want to say that we are very proud of our fans. They showed it to everyone in the semi-final. In the first game here against JDT they gave amazing support, especially in the difficult moments. And in the second match, it is difficult to travel to Johor, and more than 300 people were there to support the team. As I always say, we have the best fans in Malaysian football.

Question: Will Pahang Rangers be the first team to beat Selangor?

Eloy Alonso: I hope so, and I hope it is at home. Like I always say to the players, we do not have to think of this as the first game. This is the game. We have to go 200 per cent for this game and after that we will see. If we play at the same level as in the semi-final, we will fight face to face and we will see. But I trust and believe in my players.

The Final 1st Leg kicks off at 20:30 on Saturday 24 October at Stadium Tertutup SUKPA, Kuantan. The second leg is at KOMBES, Shah Alam, on Saturday 31 October.