UPM Tournament Is Off

The Northern Warrior's participation to the UPM International Invitational in Serdang from November 17th is now off. The news was forwarded to the coaching staff by UUM Sports Director, En Shaffery Rejab. He mentioned that the cancellation is very untimely but he is unable to commit himself towards the matter as the Vice Chancellor's office had issued a notice that all acitivities involving it's students are temporarily suspended during the examination week. Therefore, the team will have to wait for the new schedule to prepare themselves for the upcoming Prima Cup and UiTM Invitational Quadrangular scheduled for December.

The Northern Warriors will now get to focus on their examinations and plan themselves for their return to their respective states until a call up is extended to all players.

Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival - Finals

Tuesday, October 28th 2009 is a night for all the eight participating teams to cherish. It was an evening where all the semi-final and final matches of the UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009 were held. It involved 5 DPPs namely, DPP Malaysia Airlines (MAS - 3 teams in 2 different categories - junior and senior), DPP Yayasan Al-Bukhary (YAB), DPP Proton, DPP Petronas and DPP Bank Rakyat. Despite their tight schedules preparing for their final examinations, the lads still able to take their time off preparing themselves for the cruncher. Backed by their strong supporters, all the participating teams played their heart out to outplay their respective opponents.

Leading the contenders for the junior and senior categories is DPP MAS with 2 teams in the junior category and a team in the senior category. The match kicked-off with DPP MAS A took the field against DPP TNB. DPP TNB beat the odd by outplaying the favourite MAS A with a 2 goal lead and in the first half and ended the match with 2-1. Soon after, DPP MAS B took on DPP Petronas in the first semi final of the senior category. The outcome of the match, it was DPP MAS B who walked out the winner with 1-0 win. The second semi-final of the junior category involved DPP MAS B against DPP Bank Rakyat. DPP Bank Rakyat backed by their hardcore fans and supporters drummed themselves on the wet condition. They found it hard to beat the balanced team of DPP MAS B lead by Mohd Zulhusni Hasani. The full time ended in 0-0 and it took the penalty kicks to decide the finalist, joining DPP TNB. At the end it was DPP MAS B that came out the winner after DPP Bank Rakyat's fourth penalty kicker failed to put the ball accross the goal line.

The second semi-final of the senior category was between DPP YAB against DPP Proton. The match was played at high tempo and both teams suit the semi-finalists tag. The penalty shoot-out again was the decider to decide the outright finalist, to meet DPP YAB in the final after both teams were tied at 1-1. The outcome of this match favoured DPP YAB as they managed to put 4 goals in the penalty shoot-out compared to only 3 by DPP Proton. Therefore the finals were between DPP MAS A against DPP TNB while in the senior category, it was between DPP MAS B against DPP YAB.

In the junior category, title favourite DPP MAS A emerged champion after beating DPP TNB in the penalty shoot-out after both teams were tied at 0-0. Meanwhile in the senior category DPP YAB was the champion of the 2009 edition after defeating DPP MAS B 1-0. However the tensed final was marred by explosive thrown by a spectator into the field. Match officials abandoned the match for almost 10 minutes but the electrifying finals continued to get the cheering voices from the spectators. DPP YAB managed to hang up to the solitary goal till the final whistle. Congratulations to the Junior Category Champion - DPP MAS A and Senior Category Champion - DPP YAB. The champions pocketed RM500 each while the losing finalist earned RM200 each.

The Northern Warriors Travel To Penang

The Northern Warrior starts their preparation towards the UPM International Invitational Tournament by having a friendly match against Chinese Recreation Club of Penang at the CRC's ground in Burmah Road. The match was organized as the team needs a good warm up match and CRC fits them well for the purpose. CRC is fourth in the Penang 2009 Division One League. The UUM team will have many new faces in their line up as most of the key players in the previous team had graduated. Among the new faces that will feature are Mohd Talha Ismail, Mohd Zulhusni Hasani and Rusdi Sama-Alee.

UUM hopes to put up a strong and reliable team for their future tournaments namely the PRIMA Cup and the UiTM International Invitational Cup.

Taufikh Failed ..

UUM's sole representative to the MASUM soccer team preparing for the SIPMA Games in October, Mohd Taufikh Abdullah failed to make the cut to the final team. The outcome of the final selection process was made known to him after the last day of the training camp that was held in University Technology Malaysia's (UTM) city campus in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur from August 28th to 31st 2009. Taufikh who play in defence, struggled to find his footing to convince the selection panels, headed by coach Razak Jumadi of International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM).
The failure was due to the inclusion of several new players from University Technology MARA (UiTM) who had played in the FAM Cup League to compete for the limited spots. However it was a good exposure and valuable experience for him to have trained under different coaches and different training environment. The UUM team management and coaches as well as the team members are proud of him.

UUM To Compete In The FAM Cup 2010?

UUM will most likely compete in the FAM Cup 2010. Efforts towards forming up a strong team for the competition had been geared by the UUM Sports Centre, headed by it's Director, Encik Shafferi Rejab. Series of trials had been conducted and to date, 10 players had been identified and their names had been submitted to the Registrar's office. The selected trialists will be called soon for an interview. Currently there are only few players (staffs) left to be considered to represent UUM to the tournament. They are Ahmad Rafiqi Roslan, Mohd Hamzah Adanan, Rozaimi Omar (defenders), Mohamad Ibrahim, Mohd Fahmi Mohd Zulkifli, Mohd Sayazi Abdul Mutalib (midfielders) and Asyraf Ibrahim, Mohd Iswandy Abdul Wahab and Syafulrizam Azizan (strikers).
Several players from the students' team, The Northern Warriors, will also be called up to strengthen the team. This will ensure that the soon to be set up team, will get full support from the UUM's community. The team will be most likely coached by UUM's staff coach, Azman Hj Eusoff.

Meanwhile, UUM's Vice Chancellor, Tan Sri Nordin Kardi, had given his consent towards putting up a team to the FAM Cup challenge. With this effort, it is hoped that UUM will be able to promote is name back to the country's football fraternities.

The Northern Warriors To Participate in IRAUG 2009

The Northern Warriors will be participating in the Indian Rim Asian University Games 2009 in Perth, Australia. The games is scheduled for December 7th - 11th 2009. The multi-sports games is jointly organized by University of Western Australia (UWA), Australian University Sport (AUS) and Eventscorp of Australia. The UUM soccer team will be accompanied by badminton and another sport to be confirmed later. Besides soccer and badminton, the games will also host beach volleyball, hockey, cricket, judo, rugby 7, tennis, water polo and ultimate.

The soccer event will be played in an 11-a-side format where each team is allowed to register 18 players and maximum of 5 officials. Therefore, a thorough selection will be made to select the strongest possible team to represent UUM and the country. The current Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival and the proposed UUM Champions League will be the best platform to identify potential players for the purposed. The preparation for the tournament will start in November.

UUM Champions Cup 2009

The preparation towards the inaugural UUM Champions Cup 2009 is heating up. The budget for the tournament had been finalized by the UUM Sports Centre and its organizing committee. Should everything goes well, the tournament is scheduled for it's soft launch on October 5th 2009 simultaneously with the semi finals and final match of the UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival which was adjourned before Ramadhan. The organizing committee is trying very hard to get sponsors to contribute to the tournament and efforts towards securing a deal with a telecommunication firm is at the final stage.

Representatives from the Students Residential College (DPP) will be invited for a briefing pertaining to the tournament and the outcome will determine the full concept. The organizer is optimistic to get all the DPPs to participate in the inaugural tournament except for DPP Muamalat where majority of it's students are girls.

However the proposed 3 months period to run the league needs to be scrapped as the students will be sitting for their final papers in November before taking a long break and allowing the UUM soccer team, The Northern Warriors, to prepare themselves for the PRIMA Cup in Thailand, the UiTM Quadrangular Invitation Cup in Shah Alam and the Indian Rim Asian University Games in Australia.

Important Feedback - Improvement

Dear readers,

As the Chief Coordinator of the UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009, I would kindly appreciate your comments and proposals on things and ways that we could improve from the ongoing tournament. Your valuable comments and inputs are very important to us in improving and ensuring a better organization on the upcoming UUM Champions Cup which is scheduled for October 2009. There are areas that we feel need to be improved ourselves but your comments could be much more important. Also please forward this matter to your team management and officials on this matter.

Thank you for your kind and valuable assistance.

Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival - Update 1

The heat was till the very last minute of the competition in the UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009. Few upsets were created in the quarter final matches that was played last night at the UUM Stadium. 3 matched need to be decided through the penalty shoot-out which saw some favourite teams had to accept their fates.

In the junior rank, Bank Rakyat was the most fanciful team to advance into the semi final after defeating their rival Perwaja with 3-0. Cheered by their supporters, the team played a very much organised game and their opponent was no match to them. In the senior rank, title favourite, MISC had to bow out early after they failed to convert the deciding penalty shootout against Proton. The results ended up 7-6 in favour of Proton. Earlier, the organiser was given a scare after Proton's goalkeeper, Mohd Faizal were knocked down semi unconsiousness upon colliding with a MISC player off a free kick. Quick attendance by the organiser, helped to ease the situation.

The four teams from the junior rank that qualified to the semi finals are TM (defeating MAS A on penalty shoot out 2-1), TNB (edged Tradewind 1-0), Bank Rakyat (beating Perwaja 3-0) and MAS B (edged EON 3-1). Meanwhile in the senior category four teams that made through are MAS (defeating Perwaja 1-0), Petronas (edged TM 1-0), Proton (won against MISC 7-6 on penalty shoot out) and YAB B (defeating EON 3-2 also on penalty shoot out).
The semi finals and the final will be held on a later date after Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, which to be confirmed by the organiser soon.

Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009 - Update

Tonight will see the eight teams from the two different groups flexing their muscles in the quarter finals at the UUM Stadium. The competition ended the qualifying and preliminary rounds with the favourite teams qualified to the quarter finals.

Leading the group in the junior rank (semester 1 & 2) are MAS A & B, TM, TNB, Tradewind, Bank Rakyat, Perwaja and EON. Meanwhile in the senior rank, the teams that made through to the quarter finals are Perwaja, EON, Petronas, MAS, TM, MISC, YAB B and Proton. The quarter finals will complete the schedule for today and the semifinals and final will be played at a date to be determined by the organiser later.

Besides the teams that played in the tournament, the organiser had managed to identify several new talents from both groups and it is a sign of good future for soccer in UUM. The only obstacle that need to be overcome is their willingness to fulfill the invitation to represent UUM in future tournaments.

Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009

Today, 12 teams from the junior rank students (Semester 1 & 2) and 18 teams from the senior ranks (Semester 3 & above) fill fight for honors in the UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival 2009 at the UUM Sports Complex. The tournament will run until 10.00 pm as to cater all the matches involved.

The tournament is aimed towards searching for new players to represent UUM in future competitions - The Quadrangular Tournament involving UUM, Thaksin University, Prince of Songkhla University and UiTM as host. The other tournament will be hosted by Prince Songkhla University of Thailand and will involve the same teams besides the annual tournaments organized by the Malaysian University Sports Council (MASUM).

The coaches will have their eyes closely monitoring the new students representing the junior ranks as these will be the new back up players for the current team. DPP MAS is the title contender besides showing the role of good team management for this tournament. DPP TM, DPP Bank Rakyat, DPP TNB, DPP Perwaja and DPP YAB are the other teams that will be able to challenge DPP MAS for the title. The tournament adjourned at 2.00pm to allow the teams to sit for their management exmaninations.

UUM To Host Visiting UiTM Kedah

UUM will be hosting several games to visiting UiTM Kedah (Merbuk Campus) to Sintok on Saturday, August 8th 2009. The soccer team will be playing against the visiting team at Padang B at 5.00pm. This event was initiated by UiTM Kedah Students Representative Council (MPP) in enhancing and establishing good relationship between the two institutes of higher learning. Besides soccer, the entourage will also be involved in badminton, rugby, netball, volleyball etc.

Soccer Friendly - The Northern Warriors 0 DPP TNB 2

The Northern Warriors hosted a soccer friendly match to DPP TNB at Padang A this afternoon. It helped the DPP TNB soccer team preparing for the Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival scheduled for Tuesday, August 11th 2009. DPP TNB scored the first goal from the spot after, its player was brought down in the penalty box by a UUM defender. Mohd Nasron later added another goal in the second half with a beautiful left shot that curled passed UUM's goalkeeper, Mohd Solihin.

UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival Postponed

The proposed UUM Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival scheduled for July 28th 2009 (Tuesday) has been postponed to a later date. This is due to the latest H1N1 pandemic situation in the UUM main campus in Sintok. The Students Affair Department (HEP) had announced that no activity involving students is allowed to be held in its campus. The students had been instructed to take a week off and return to their homes. The new date for this tournament will be announced very soon by the organiser.

Soccer Friendly - The Northern Warriors v DPP MAS

The Northern Warriors played a soccer friendly against DPP MAS last night at the UUM Stadium. The match was arranged as to allow several new players who had reported into the 1st semester to show their abilities. It was surprising indeed as there are new talents from available from those who turned up as well as on the opponent's side. There were 3 new players from the Northern Warriors, 2 strikers and 1 defender while from DPP MAS there were 1 midfielder and 2 strikers. The match ended 1-1. Both goals were scored in the second half. Tonight the Northern Warriors will be playing against DPP MISC at the same venue.

Inter DPP Mini Soccer Carnival

UUM Sports Center will be organizing a mini soccer carnival among the Student Residential Halls (DPP) on July 28th 2009 at the UUM Sports Complex. The tournament is aimed towards selecting new players expecially from the new intakes and Semester 1 to form a respectable team for future tournaments. Each SRH is required to send 2 teams into the tournament where each team shall represents the Semester 1 & 2 and Semester 3 and above. The organizer is hoping to identify some new good talents from this tournament. A total of 28 teams will compete in this one day event and hope that the tournament is well received and enjoyed by all participants.

UUM Champions Cup 2009

UUM Sports Center with the collaboration of the Students Residential Hall (DPP) will be organizing its inaugural UUM Champions Cup 2009 scheduled to be officially kicks off in October. A total of 15 SRHs and a team representing UUM staffs will be competing to be the champion of its first edition. The idea of having this championship was first mooted by UUM soccer coach, Azman Hj Eusoff, with the aim of exposing the students to organize, manage and market professional soccer among the university's community.

The championship will have the participating teams to name their respective team using the names of top European clubs ie Barcelona, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Ajax Amsterdam, Marseille etc. In the event of 2 teams intend to use the same clubs, a draw will be conducted to determine which team carries the name. The teams are required to wear the official team jerseys throughout the championship. The competition shall run in a league format within the duration of 3 months and cash prizes are proposed to the winners. Prior to participating in this league, each club will have to meet several requirements set by the organizer :-

1. The teams will have to set up their supporting/cheering groups

2. The teams need to have a website or a blog that promotes their activities, fixtures and results

3. The teams will have to do promotional events that introduce the team to the residents

4. The teams are required to wear the official clubs jerseys throughout the league

5. Each team will have to provide 2 assistant referees

The names of the European clubs that are up for grabs by the participating teams are :-

1. Manchester United

2. Chelsea

3. Liverpool

4. Arsenal

5. Barcelona

6. Real Madrid

7. Valencia

8. Inter Milan

9. AC Milan

10. Juventus

11. Marseille

12. Paris St Germain

13. Bayern Munich

14. Bayer Leverkusen

15. Ajax Amsterdam

16. PSV Eindhoven

** List of teams subject to availabilities of club's jerseys in the market

Training For The New Semester Kicks Off

Training for the new semester has kicked off last Tuesday. Apart from the previous team, there were 6 new players who turned up. 3 players are from semester 3 and 5 while the other 3 are freshies. The training was conducted by chief coach, Azman Hj Eusoff (pic) at the stadium. The coaching staffs however, are expecting more new players from semester one to turn up as the management had targeted to set two teams. The management was also being informed that there are several potential players that had reported to UUM during the new intake.

"We hope that we are able to identify some new players to beef up our current team which will be preparing for the Invitational Quadrangular hosted by UiTM Shah Alam in August and PRIMA Cup to be played in Songkhla, Thailand in October" said coach Azman. To faciliate with the identifying process, the management will be organizing a mini tournament opened to all residential colleges on July 21st 2009.

Mohd Taufikh In The MASUM's Final List

Northern Warrior's defender, Mohd Taufikh Abdullah (pic) made UUM proud when he was selected to the final list of the MASUM's soccer team preparing for the SIPMA Games 2009 this August. The training camp which is based in University Putra Malaysia (UPM) is currently undergoing its second phase of the centralized training under the supervision of International Islamic University of Malaysia's (IIUM) coaching staffs. Mohd Taufikh Abdullah was nominated together with goalkeeper Mohd Razi Azami to the selection committee but made through after Mohd Razi's nomimation was rejected due to the age limit.
Standing at 179cm, Mohd Taufikh has the potential to further improve and progress his abilities in defense. The coaching staffs and members of the team are very proud and happy for him and wish him the very best of luck in the training camp and hope that he will be able to make it into the final team.

Major Reshuffle In The Waiting?

The Northern Warriors will see a major reshuffle in the team once the team resumes their training schedule this August. With the new intake of students for the August registration, the team might be able to find new players to don it's colours for future assignments. The team will definitely miss the services of five key players in Mohd Razi Azami (goalkeeper), Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali, Syamsul Hidayat (midfielders), Adam Alkhindy Akbar and Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani (strikers). The team needs depth in the team to face the challenges ahead as the current batch of players tend to lose their match temperament as well as composure during critical situations. Players like Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin (goalkeeper), Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, K.Sankar, R.Thevan, Muhammad Solihein Azmi (defenders) and Cao Le (midfielder) has potential to lift the team to a higher level.

Meanwhile some players will see their positions being taken over by new players should the coaching panels manage to locate new talents during the new intake this July. The Sports Center with the collaboration of the Residential Colleges will be organizing a soccer competition to recruit new talents for their future competitins. This effort will be providing the right platform for potential students to expose their skills and techniques.

MASUM Cup 2009 - UUM 4 UPM 5 (Penalty Shoot-out)

It was a heartbreaking evening for the Northern Warriors when the team was ousted from the MASUM Cup 2009 competition in the quarter final match against defending champion, University Putra Malaysia (UPM). The team lost in the penalty shoot-out after playing with only 10 men throughout the 7o minutes including the extra time which was played at the University Technology Malaysia (UiTM) Sri Iskandar Campus, Perak Darul Ridzuan.

The team started unconvincingly with communication was again the main problem. The players played without self-confidence and were nervous throughout the first half. Things turned to be better in the second half with the team improved their communication problems but unfortunately, Cao Le was flashed a red card for some negative remarks against the referee. Despite the situation, the team still managed to take control of the match and was very close to scoring a goal in 3 situations. Lack of composure failed to allow Mohd Sharin Mujin and Mohd Nasron Basri to find the net in a one to one situation with the goalkeeper. During the extra time, UPM, despite having their best man on the field, failed to beat the 10 men of UUM.

During the shoot-out, Adam Alkhindy Akbar led the team with his first conversion and later followed by Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, R.Thevan and Mohd Nasron Basri. It was Dominic Roy who stepped in to take the fourth penalty kick failed to find the net when his kick was saved by the UPM's goalkeeper.

However head coach, Azman Eusoff, was full of praised and impressed by the attitude and discipline of his charges throughout the match as they showed strong character and determination to overcome the difficulties they had to face when were forced to play with only 10 men for almost 70 minutes when influential midfielder, Cao Le was sent off. R.Thevan (pic), despite having a high fever and suspected of gastric a day earlier, bit the pain and endured himself to play in the crucial game. It was unlucky indeed but the team will have to start looking forward in another 2 competitions.

MASUM Cup 2009 - Injury List Growing

The list of injured players is growing and this is the main concern by head coach, Azman Hj Eusoff. Before the tournament started, goalkeeper, Mohd Razi Azami injured himself during the team outing at Teluk Batik and his place between the post was taken over by Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin (pic) who performed reasonably well against UniMAP. With K.Sankar suspended for the match against UPM in the quarter final, the fever that hit R.Thevan and hamstring injury to Ezad Fadzril, Cao Le, ankle injury that keeps Syamsul Hidayat Khairan out of the competition and thigh injury to striker Mohd Nasron Basri comes at the wrong time. The team needs the best team to overcome the defending champion who seems to be a very balanced team under the guidance of coach Saheh Said who assisted Azman Hj Eusoff in the recent Asean University Games 2008 in Kuala Lumpur.

The team will probably start with almost the same line up that defeated UniMAP except for K.Sankar who is on suspension. The team hopes to keep Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin in goal and Khairul Abdul Rahim will have to partner Dominic Roy Joseph as stoppers infront of Mohd Taufikh Abdullah. Should all goes well, the midfield trio of Cao Le, Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali and Norbert Obiekwe will keep their place. Mohd Sharin Mujin and Muhammad Solihein Azmi will keep their right and left flank midfields position. Meanwhile, the team can also rely on the twin strikers partnership of Adam Alkhindy Akbar and Mohd Nasron Basri to find the net for UUM.

Whatever the situation is, the team will have to be very focused and concentrated in the match and hoping for the best that the outcome will favour UUM to qualify to the semi final.

MASUM CUP 2009 - UUM 4 UniMAP 0

It was a great start for the Northern Warriors in the MASUM Cup 2009 edition when they trashed neighbour, University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) 4-0 in the opening match at University Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan. Playing without several key players due to injuries, the Northern Warriors played with full of confidence. The team started the goal spree in the 22nd minute from a header by striker, Adam Alkhindy Akbar (pic) off a corner kick taken by Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali. Despite the uneven pitch, the boys showed no sign of discomfort and played a possession game. The score remained in the first half.
K.Thevan headed the second goal in the 57th minute from another corner taken by Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali. Adam Alkhindy Akbar again nodded his second goal of the match and put the team 3 goals up. The team kept their positive attitude and it paid off when Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali tapped the team's fourth goal from a pass in the penalty box by Adam Alkhindy Akbar. Unfortunately the team lost its influential defender when K.Sankar was sent off for a second yellow card offence. The players kept themselves composed and managed to absorb the pressure throughout the remaining 20 minutes and the match ended with UUM beating UniMAP of Perlis 4-0. UUM will next meet defending champion, University Putra Malaysia (UPM) in the quarter final on May 27th at 4.30pm.

BBQ, Stage Performance For The Northern Warriors

The UUM soccer team, ended their last evening at Teluk Batik with a barbeque session prepared by all members of the team. It was deliciously prepared by the boys and it was great to see that all the boys helped each other preparing the meals. Soon after, the boys had great fun with great performance by all players performing boria, nasyid and dikir barat. The groups are made of players from different departments in the team (defender-midfielders-strikers/goalkeepers) and they have to perform according to the assignment given to them earlier. Besides the group performance, it was great to see that the players got talent in singing as well. The players were later presented with some presents by the head coach.

Tomorrow the team will leave for UiTM in Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan and report into the camp before the tournament kicks-off on Sunday.

Fun Time Before The Cruncher

The UUM soccer team took their time off from the hectic training schedule for some fun times at Teluk Batik in Lumut, Perak Darul Ridzuan. The team arrived yesterday from Sintok and checked-in at Chalet Impian Pak Man in Teluk Batik. Upon arrival, the boys wasted no time and spent the whole evening in the sea. Its splashing time for them. Tonight the boys will be performing some cultural performances on stage. The team had been splitted in three different groups and each group will put up their performance on nasyid, boria and dikir barat.

Focus Switched To MASUM Cup 2009

After failing to be promoted to the Premier League in the recently concluded MASUM Division 1 Soccer Carnival, the Northern Warriors will now put their focus on the MASUM Cup to be held in UiTM Sri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan. The tournament is scheduled to kick off on May 24th with UUM is down to play its neighbour, UniMAP of Perlis.

The team left for Teluk Batik in Lumut, Perak Darul Ridzuan for a retreat cum team building and motivation camp to be conducted by it's head coach, Azman Hj Eusoff. The camp is aimed towards improving the team spirit and teamwork which was clearly lacking in the previous tournament. Aside, the camp will also ease down any pressure on the players prior to the competition. With injuries to key players ie. Mohd Taufikh Abdullah (defender), Cao Le (midfielder), Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani (striker), Dominic Roy (defender) and Norbert Obiekwe (midfielder), the team will have to opt for other players in order to face the high riding opponent who finished fourth in the MASUM Divisyen 1 Soccer Carnival.

However, the team is optimistic on their chances to qualify to the second round of the tournament which also sees the participation of teams from the MASUM Premier League.

MASUM Uni-League Division One - IIUM (0) v UUM (0)

UUM ended thier campaign in the MASUM Uni-League Division One 2009 after a draw against International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). The result saw IIUM together with UKM qualified through to the quarter final. UUM could only managed to secure 4 points while IIUM collected 5 points.

In the match, the team made some changes in the line-up as well as the tactical approach. Instead of their normal 4-4-2 formation, the team had to adjust accordingly by playing a 3-4-3 formation and that had proven to be positive. Sankar Kuppusamy and Thevan Raman started at the back, marking out both IIUM strikers. Dominic Roy started in place the injured Muhammad Solihein Azmi on the right while Mohd Fadzri Kaharuddin retained his position on the left but later was substituted by Khairul Abdul Rahim after failing to perform reasonably well. Norbert Obiekwe who missed the earlier two matches stood in together with Cao Le in midfield. Mohd Nasron Basri got two golden opportunities to put UUM into the lead but fumbled in both occasions.

It was an improved and better performance by the team with all players realised that only a win will take them to the quarter final. Unfortunately the spirited display failed to give the team the required results. With the result, UUM will now have to focus on their campaign in the MASUM Cup scheduled for May 24th 2009 in UiTM Manjung. Cao Le (pic) was later pronounced as the Man of The Match.

MASUM Uni-League Division One - UUM (2) v UKM (3)

The Northern Warriors went down tamely to University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) 2-3 in the second match of the MASUM Uni-League Division One 2009 at Field B, UUM. The unexpected defeat put the team in a difficult position and only a win in their last match will secure them a place in the quarter final. The UUM team displayed a below par performance in their second match and that proved to be very costly.

The visitors took the lead after the misunderstanding between the defenders and the opponent took the opportunity to squeeze the ball pass goalkeeper Mohd Razi Azami for their first goal. The attacking partnership of Adam Alkhindy Akbar and Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani failed to threathen the opponent's defence. Syamsul Hidayat Khairan in midfield failed to improve the understanding together with Cao Le and had to be replaced by captain Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali who was earlier positioned on the right midfield. However, it was Muhammad Solihein Azmi (pic) who gave a splendid performance on the right back preventing the opponent from coming close to scoring situation. UKM added their second goal in the first half before striker Adam Alkhindi Akbar connected a low cross from Mohd Fadzri Kaharuddin. The result stayed at 2-1 in the first half. UUM made the same substitution in order to beef up the attack but their inclusion failed to lift the game. UKM added their third goal before Noorhasrol Zainal reduced the margin to 2-3. Captain Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali was given the marching order after collecting his second yellow card.

Overall, the whole team didn't take the chances well and lack of communication between the whole team was the main downfall. It will be a herculean task for the Northern Warriors as their opponent tomorrow, International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) only needs a draw from the match while UUM needs nothing than a win to move to the quarter final. Muhammad Solihein Azmi was later announced as the Man of The Match.

MASUM Uni-League Division One - UUM (4) v UTeM (1)

The Northern Warriors started its campaign in the MASUM Uni-League Division One 2009 on a convincing note when it beats University Teknikal Melaka (UTeM) 4-1. The team kicked-off dominating in the first 2o minutes of the game while the opponent was struggling to find their footing right. Despite dominating the match and had several opportunities in our way, it was the visitor who found the net first in the 32nd minute after a misunderstanding between the defenders that caused goalkeeper Mohd Razi Azami to be beaten. The striking partnership of Adam Alkhindi Akbar and Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani failed to click well as both players were going their own way while Adam Alkhindy Akbar was oftenly caught off-side.

In the second half, the team made seveal changes in the team line up with Mohd Shafuan Abdul Hamid came in for Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani and pushed Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali to partner Adam Alkhindi Akbar upfront. Thevan Raman came in for Mohd Fadzri Kaharuddin while Noorhasrol Zainal replaced Wan Mohd Aizat Md Nasri on the left. The changes proved to be positive when Mohd Shafuan's first touch off a free kick met Mohd Nasron Basri and gave the team the equalizer. The Northern Warriors second goal came shortly after, again from another move created by Mohd Shafuan Abdul Hamid. From a low cross on the right side, he sent a low ball for Syamsul Hidayat Khairan to score the second goal. Sankar Kuppusamy scored UUM's third goal from a corner kick while Noorhasrol Zainal added his name in the scoring list with the fourth goal.

The victory gave the team the much needed confidence in the remaining two group matches. The team will next play University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in the second match and a win will secure the team in the quarter final. Mohd Shafuan Abdul Hamid (pic) was later announced as the Man of The Match.

MASUM Division One - The Final Preparation

The Northern Warriors are at their final preparations before the first match kicks-off this Wednesday, May 13th 2009. All players are at their best condition and eager to start the tournament. Minor injuries to several players are a slight concerned to the coaches but the spirit of the team are at the top level for now. The Northern Warriors will open up their campaign against University Teknikal Melaka (UTeM) at Field B and the match kicks off at 4.30pm.

The team preparations for the tournament went off smoothly and the coaches are very happy with the development of the team. UUM played their last warm-up match against the Kedah U18 team and the boys showed improvements in many aspects of the game. However, the coaches main worry is lack of communication among the players.

Lets all pray to Allah for the team success and may the team spirit are able to be kept and translate into victory.

Time To Focus On Examinations

The Northern Warriors will now get a break for a week and will get their time to concentrate on their examination papers. The coaches will be in Langkawi for the National Statuory Body Association Sports Meet from April 28th to May 3rd, 2009. Both coaches had been entrusted to assist the university's staff soccer team competing in the 9-a-side soccer competition. Prior to the absense, the players will get to focus on preparing themselves for the exam papers due to last on May 6th 2009. Meanwhile, the players had been advised to keep themselves fit before the training resumes on Monday, May 4th 2009.

Soccer Friendly - UUM 2 MBAS 1

The Northern Warriors defeated Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar (MBAS) 2-1 in a soccer friendly played yesterday at Field B. The team had to revamp its usual 4-3-3 formation and played with the 4-4-2 formation due to the inavailability of certain players due to the ongoing examinations as well injuries. The players were also seen to be very exausted and tired as the result of insufficient rest. The visitors took the lead in the 28th minute. UUM later equalized through Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali (pic) after striker Adam Alkhindi Akbar was fouled in the penalty box. The winning goal came later in the second half from Adam Alkhindi Akbar who ran into the box and rarmmed into the goal from close range.
Overall, despite their tireness, the coaches were happy with their attitude and commitment towards the game. However, the team needs to improve drastically their communication on the field as that was the most important aspect lacking in their game. The team will next play the Super League side, Kuala Muda NAZA FC on Friday, April 24th at Field B. The match will kick-off at 5.15pm.

MASUM Cup - The Draw

UUM has been drawn to play it's neighbour, University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) in the MASUM Cup competition which is scheduled for May 24th 2009. The draw was attended by it's coach at the Olympic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur today. 24 teams had confirmed their participation for this year's edition where University Putra Malaysia (UPM) as defending champion has been put on bye in the top group while University Technology MARA (UiTM) the 2008's runner up is in the bottom. Meanwhile the other losing semi-finalists, Johor's University Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) and Terengganu's University Darul Iman (UDM), were also separated.

This year's tournament will be hosted by UiTM and will be held at it's Perak campus in Manjung. Four venues will be used throughout the tournament and all teams will play in a knock-out format. Winners and losers from each match will be put into the winners and losers pool to decide their progress in the tournament. It is interesting to see that during this tournament, a group of selection panels will be scouting for players to represent MASUM in the SIPMA Cup. Players selected from this tournament group together for three days in a training camp in Manjung.

Injuries Are Now The Main Concern

With all the players currently focusing onto their examinations, it is understood that some might not be able to give their best during training as well as some exposure matches. The time spent on studying and last minute preparations had took some toll on the players resting time and recovery. But the main worry and concern to the coaches now is INJURY. With only three training weeks remaining before the games kick off, more and more players are picking up the injuries and this is a real concern. Withdrawal of Mahama Saiful Kalatae and Zaki Lateh had earlier posed some problems but later solved with the inclusion of Adam Alkhindy Akbar and Syamsul Hidayat Khairam.

Injuries to Mohd Taufikh Abdullah - motorcycle accident, Mohd Solihein Azmi - ankle, Mohd Faderi Kaharudin - ankle, K.Tharmendran - ankle, Mohd Sharin Mujin - knee, Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali - ankle, Onuoha Kelechi Clarence - knee (pic) and Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani - knee, had somehow gave little choice to the coaches to prepare the team with the right combination and to achieve the right understanding. They will have to put some extra efforts in getting the treatments and rehabilitation advise in order to get themselves back into training soonest.

However, the coaches couldn't have asked for more than what the players could have given. Positive attitude, great commitment and respected discipline shown by the team had given the coaches an indication that the team is heading towards the right direction.
To all players - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND LETS ACHIEVE OUR GOAL!

Soccer Friendly - UUM 1 KTU 1

UUM drew 1-1 against visiting Kolej Tentera Udara (KTU) of Kepala Batas yesterday in a friendly match played at Field B. With several key players out due to injuries and exams, the team struggled to find their footing throughout the match. Dominic Roy partnered Thevan Raman (pic) for the first time in the heart of the defence and both played a commendable game. However the midfield trio of Cao Le, Syamsul Hidayat Khairam and Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani failed to get the team moving. Very few moves were created and the forwards were not supplied enough chances for them to test the goalkeeper. The visiting team took the lead in the first half after the defenders failed to clear the ball out of the penalty box.

The attacking trio of Adam Alkhindy Akbar, Wan Mohd Aizat Md Nasri and Mohd Shazuan Abdul Hamid somehow improved their performance in the third half of the match. The balls started to come their way and managed to create some attempts towards goal. The hardworking Adam Alkhindy Akbar later was rewarded a penalty kick after he was fouled in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. He calmly slammed the ball into the right side of the goalkeeper.

The Northern Warriors will next play two matches on Tuesday, April 21st. At 8.30am, the team will play the UUM staffs team who are preparing for the National Statuory Body sports carnival in Langkawi and later in the afternoon will play against Kedah State Development Corporation (PKNK) at 5.00pm. Both matches will be played at Field B.

The Northern Warriors Welcome 2 New Players

UUM soccer team welcomes two new players to their current team when Adam Alkhindi Akbar and Syamshul Hidayat Khairam joined the team recently. Adam and Syamshul were members of the 2008 squad and only decided to join the team last week. Their presence will definitely add strengths into the team after Mahama Saiful Kalate and Zaki Lateh withdrew from the team to concentrate on futsal. Head coach, Azman Hj Eusoff has only praise for both Adam Alkhindi Akbar (striker) and Syamshul Hidayat Khairam (midfielder), as both of them have the technical abilities and quality in their game and that was obvious during the friendly match against Jerai FC. With their inclusion, Mohamed O.N. Elmadini (Monu) who has been missing from the team will be dropped. The team will definitely miss the utility Onuoha Keleche Clarence due to his knee injury and looking forward to his quick recovery.

Soccer Friendly - UUM 1 Jerai FC 2

UUM lost 1-2 to visiting Jerai FC in a soccer friendly match played at the UUM Stadium last night. The match was part of the UUM soccer team's preparation for the MASUM Soccer Carnival this May. The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot after Dominic Roy fouled their striker in the box. Goalkeeper Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin failed to stop the attempt. After the interval, the Northern Warriors equalized through their new striker, Adam Alkhindi Akbar collected a through pass from Cao Le and managed to beat the opponent's defence and rammed the ball into the net. However, the visitors again took the lead from another penalty kick after another foul in the box. Goalkeeper Mohd Razi Azami managed to save the first attempt but the sleeping defenders failed to attend to the rebounce and managed to put the ball back into the net. The score remains until the final whistle with UUM 1 and Jerai FC 2.

The Northern Warriors will play another friendly match against visiting Kolej Tentera Udara (KTU) of Kepala Batas tomorrow (Thursday, April 16th 2009) at Field B, UUM Sintok. The match kicks off at 5.00pm.

UUM To Play Jerai Youth In A Soccer Friendly

UUM will play a friendly match against the visiting Jerai Youth on Tuesday, April 14th 2009. The match is scheduled to kick off at 8.30pm at the UUM Mini Stadium. This is part of the team's preparation for the MASUM Division 1 Soccer Carnival and the first match after their last assignment in the IMT-GT Varsity Sports Carnival in Arau, Perlis Indera Kayangan. The team will now play without the services of several key players as some had opted out to play futsal while the others are out due to injuries. Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani and Onuoha Keleche Clarence are still under recovery due to their injuries.

MASUM Division 1 Soccer Carnival 2009

UUM has been drawn in Group C together with International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and University Technology of Melaka (UTeM) in the MASUM Division 1 Soccer Carnival scheduled for May 23rd to May 31st 2009 in UUM Sintok, Kedah Darul Aman. The draw took place at IIUM, Gombak. The carnival will see 15 teams competing against each other in four different groups and at four different venues around UUM. Top two teams from each group shall proceed to the quarter finals and later to the next stages. This competition will also see three teams from this tournament being promoted to the Premier League in 2010. IIUM is the favourite team to proceed to the next stage in Group C with UUM as host, will definitely give their best to be in the top two in the group.

Catch Coach Azman LIVE on RTM 1

UUM Head Coach, Azman Eusoff will be featuring LIVE on RTM 1 at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 4th 2009 to make a match forecast on the Pahang and Perak Super League match which will be telecast live later on the same date at 8.45pm. He will be making comments and predictions on the strengths and weaknesses of both teams prior to the match. Don't miss it..!

And Now For The MASUM Carnival

After a reasonable outing in the recently concluded IMT-GT Varsity Games in Arau, now the team will get to fix themselves for the upcoming MASUM Sports Carnival scheduled for May at the UUM Sports Complex. There are many areas that need to be improved before the games kick-off. The players need to polish their technical aspects of the game besides developing their physical and fitness level. Besides the need to improve the technical areas, the team also need an injection with players of high calibre to ensure their strong challenge for the title and be promoted to the Premier League in 2010.

Head Coach, Azman Eusoff however is happy with the performance of goalkeeper, Mohd Razi Azami in the IMT-GT Games. Besides, other players who shined in the games are Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, K.Shankar, Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali and Dominic Roy Joseph.

IMT-GT Games Final - UiTM 1 UUM 0

UUM went down 0-1 to UiTM in the 11th IMT-GT Sports Carnival Soccer Final this afternoon at the UiTM Stadium in Arau. The Northern Warriors went down after they fought gallantly against the more superior and fancied UiTM. The goal was scored in the dying minutes after the defenders failed to clear the ball out of the danger area and deflected into the goal. However UUM was forced to play with only 10 men throughout the remaining 15 minutes after Mohd Sharin Mujin was flashed the red card for his second yellow card offence.

UUM played with full of discipline knowing that UiTM will come in full strength after their first round trashing. Zaki Lateh started in the 1st eleven partnering Cao Le and Mahama Saiful Kalate in midfield. Unfortunately he failed to sustain in the game due to his knee injury and was replaced by Obiekwe Nourbert. The midfielders sticked to the instructions by closing the space for the opponents to deliver the ball to their strikers and that strategy proved to be effective. However Mohd Nasron Basri who was given the lone striker responsibility upfront failed to perform. Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali was unable to lift up his game on the right. The tired legs of the entire team proved to be very costly and with injuries to several key players. However the superb performance by goalkeeper, Mohd Razi Azami (pic) throughout the match was commendable as he kept the opponent at bay with several fine saves. After the dismissal of Mohd Sharin Mujin, the team could only hope to be able to hold the opponent until the final minute and force them to play in the extra time.

With the final match and considering the quality and the duration to prepare the team to this carnival, it is indeed a great achievement by the Northern Warriors. They showed excellent fighting discipline, commitments and solid teamwork througout the games and made the UUM's community proud. The team will take a short break prior to the MASUM's Sports Carnival in May and will report for training on Monday, April 6th, 2009.

IMT-GT Games - UUM 3 TSU 0 And Into The Final

The Northern Warriors beat the odd against favourite Thailand's Thaksin University of Songkhla (TSU) in the semi final which was played at the Kangar Municipality football field. UUM trooped into the field being an underdog to the much superior TSU team but discpline and team work managed to put the team through to the final. 3 goals from Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani (10th), Cao Le (57th) and Noorhasrul Zainal (68th) gave the Northern Warriors much confidence in completing the game in a victorious note.

UUM made a minor change in the line up with a more defensive approach realising that TSU has superb technical abilities in each of their players. The defenders gave a spirited and disciplined performance, cutting out any advantage to their strikers. Both Thai strikers were totally out of their game with the tight man to man marking by K.Shanker and R.Thevan. Mohd Sharin Mujin recovered from his earlier match setback and gave a splendid performance on the left back position. Cao Le (pic) combined well in midfield together with the hardworking Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali. The 1st goal came from a through ball from the back to Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani and without any pressure simply tapped the ball to the left far post beating the goalkeeper. Both teams were being victimised by many rediculious decisions by the referee. The match stood at 1-0 to UUM in the first half.

UUM made 3 substitutions in the second half by bringing in Mohd Nasron Basri for the tired Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin. Out of a direct freekick awarded to UUM, Cao Le calmly and beautifully curled in the ball to the far post to give UUM the 2-0 lead. That inspired the team to be more focused to seal the match. Thailand was left with 10 men in the 64th minute after their defender was sent off for collecting his second yellow card. UUM took the advantage well when Noorhasrul Zainal made it 3-0 for UUM when he ran with the ball into the box and tapped it in from an outrushing Thai goalie. K.Tharmendran replaced the fatigued Noorhasrul Zainal shortly after. Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani then was substituted by Mahama Saiful Kalate.

The score remained until the final whistle and UUM celebrated themselves to the final. Both teams however were not happy with many decisions made by the referee when 10 yellow cards and 1 red card were given to both teams. The Northern Warriors will meet UiTM at the UiTM Stadium in Arau at 5.00pm.

IMT-GT Games - ITM 1 UUM 2

The Northern Warriors defeated Indonesia's Institute Teknologi Medan (ITM) 2-1 in the final match of the preliminary round at the Padang Rani, UiTM Arau. The goals were scored in the second half through Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani and Mohd Nasron Basri (pic). ITM took the lead from the spot when Dominic Roy was punished for pushing the Indonesian striker and the referee pointed to the spot. Earlier, Mohd Rahizan could have taken the team to lead the match when UUM was awarded a penalty when Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin was pulled in the box but unfortunately he ballooned the ball away. K.Tharmendran was substituted earlier in the first half with Khairul Abd Rahim while Onouha Keleche was replaced by Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani.

Head Coach, Azman Eusoff was very annoyed with the way the team performed and gave them some tough words and challenged the team to rise to their true potentials by winning the game. That had somehow lifted the team's moral and improved their performance. The team equalized through the penalty taken by Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani in the 56th minute. Dominic Roy limped out with muscle cramp in the 70th minite and had to be replaced by Mohd Sharin Mujin which later switched his position to the left with R.Thevan moved to the right back. Shortly after, Obiekwe Norbert also had to be replaced by Mahama Saiful Kalate for muscle cramp. UUM made another substitution in the 70th minute by bringing in Mohd Nasron Basri in place of the tired Noorhasrul Zainal and that proved to be right when he tipped the ball into the net from a short pass from Mohd Rahizan. Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin was later being substituted by Muhamad Shafuan Abdul Hamid. The team had numerous chances infront of the goal but wasted by the strikers.

The Northern Warriors will now play Thaksin University of Songkhla (TSU) in the semifinal which is scheduled to be played tomorrow March 31st, 2009 at the Municipal Council field at 8.00am.

IMT-GT Games - UUM 2 PSU 1

The Northern Warriors lived up the expectation when it matters most when they defeated favourite, Prince Songkhla University (PSU) of Thailand 2-1. The match which was supposed to be played yesterday afternoon, was brought forward today due to the heavy downpour that flooded the playing field.

UUM turned up with confidence knowing that a lose or a draw will dampen their chance to qualify to the semi-final. Noorhasrol Zainal (pic) was the hero of the team netting both goals in each half. Mohd Razi Azami stood between the post in place of Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin while Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali was switched to play in the right attacking position. In midfield, Obiekwe Nourbert and Mahama Saiful Kalate made up a strong combination and Onouha Keleche was pushed to support Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani in attack. UUM dominated the game in the early part of the match while the Thais were struggling to find their footing. Out of a through ball from the left by K.Tharmendran, Noorhasrul ran through into the box and managed to hit the ball passed the goalkeeper.

UUM made a substitution by bringing in Mohd Sharin Mujin in place of K.Tharmendran who seemed to be making numerous errors. That decision somehow didn't improve as Mohd Sharin Mujin was struggling to adjust himself into the game. The Thais equalised after Mohd Sharin failed to stop their right midfield from putting a through pass and Mohd Razi Azami was beaten. The outcome didn't stop the Northern Warriors from throwing their efforts to win the game and after all the hardworks, it finally paid off when a pass from Obiekwe Nourbert to Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali saw Norhasrol Zainal free on the left and a short pass to him, he calmly tapped the ball above the reach of the Thai goalkeeper. UUM made 2 substitutions by bringing in R.Thevan in place of the ineffective Mohd Sharin Mujin and Cao Le for the tired Mahama Saiful Kalate. Wan Mohamad Aizat Md Nasri came in later in the game to replace Norhasrul Zainal and the Northern Warriors stood firm till the final whistle.

Today at 3.00pm, the Northern Warriors will face defending champion Institut Teknologi Medan (ITM) of Indonesia to determine their position into the last four. The match is scheduled to be played at Padang Rani, UiTM Arau.

IMT-GT Games - UUM vs PSU Match Postponed

The scheduled match between UUM and PSU at UiTM Padang Rani in Arau is postponed due to the bad pitch condition after a heavy downfall. The match will be played tomorrow morning at 8.00am at the same venue.

Herculean Task For The Northern Warriors Against The Thais

UUM will face the much fancied Thai's Prince Songkhla University in today's do or die match at the UiTM Padang Rani. The team will definitely go through some changes after some players failed to deliver. The Northern Warriors will definitely welcome back influential midfielder, Zaki Lateh, after he shows some improvement to his knee injury.

The outcome of this match will influence the team's position in this tournament. After losing the first match against UiTM, the Northern Warriors need to collect the valuable 3 points to secure their position before facing defending champion, ITM of Medan, Indonesia tomorrow in the final league match. The coaches are looking for a better performance and improved tactical discipline by the players. Onuoha Kelechi will lead the team's attack, replacing Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani and Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali will switch his position from midfiedl to the right flank. There are possibilities that K.Tharmendran (pic) will move upfront as a left flanker leaving his position to Mohd Sharin Mujin at the left back position. The team however will stick to their original formation of 4-3-3.

IMT-GT Games - UiTM 5 UUM 1

The UUM soccer team started their first match in the 11th IMT-GT Varsity Sports Carnival 2009 losing to UiTM 1-5. Playing on a hard, uneven and bumpy pitch, caused the Northern Warriors a disastrous start to the games. The coaches had to make a last minute decision to bring in Mohd Taufikh Abdullah in place of Khairul Abd Rahim who injured his groin while warming up. First goalkeeper, Mohd Razi Azami couldn't start the match as he arrived late to the venue and had to be replaced by Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin.

UUM started the game aggessively with team captain, Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani leading the attack. Meanwhile Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin, Mohd Taufikh Abdullah and K.Shankar stood firm in defense until K.Shankar brought down a UiTM striker in the box and was awarded a penalty. The match ended 0-1. Onuoha Kelechi came in to substitute Cao Le in the 30th minite. In the second half, the Northern Warriors seems to have lost their concentration. Off a corner kick, a UiTM striker outjumped K.Tharmendran to score the second goal on the far post. Again from a set-piece, UiTM increased their lead with another header to make it 3-0. UiTM got their 4th goal from another corner kick when he was left unmarked. The 5th goal for UiTM came when they managed to break the offside trap set by Mohd Taufikh and K.Shankar and tapped the ball into the far post. UUM made 2 substitutions by bringing in Obiekwe Norbert for ineffective Mohd Syazuan Abdul Hamid (65th) and later Wan Mohamad Aizat Md Nasri for Mohd Asrol Zainal (70th). UUM's consolation goal was scored by Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani (pic) in the 78th minute from the spot after he was brought down by a defender. The final score is UiTM 5 UUM 1. Tomorrow, UUM will face Prince University of Songkhla (PSU) in the second match at Padang Rani, UiTM Arau at 5.00pm.

UUM Team To The IMT-GT Games

UUM has enlisted 20 players for the 11th IMT-GT Varsity Sports Carnival to be held from March 27th to April 1st 2009 in Arau, Perlis. The 20 players registered for this tournament are from the 25 players selected earlier. UUM is drawn in Group A together with defending champion Institut Teknologi Medan (ITM), Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Mohd Fadri Kaharuddin (Jilik) who was injured in an accident last Tuesday was not in the list. Mohannad O.N. Elmadini (Monu) and Onuoha Kelechi (Kelex) who was missing from training was also not registered. The Northern Warriors are :-

Goalkeepers - Mohd Razi Azami, Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin
Defenders - Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, Khairul Abd Rahim, Shanker Kuppusamy, Thevan Raman, Dominic Roy Joseph, Tharmendran Kumaran, Mohd Sharin Mujin
Midfielders - Obiekwe Norbert, Cao Le, Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali, Zaki Lateh, Mahama Saiful Kalatae, Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin
Strikers - Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani, Wan Mohamad Aizat Md Nasri, Mohd Nasron Basri, Mohd Shafuan Abdul Hamid, Nor Asrol Zainal

Soccer Friendly - UiTM 1 The Northern Warriors 1

The Northern Warriors drew 1-1 to UiTM in a friendly match played at the UiTM Stadium in Arau. The match was played to gauge and assess the combination of the team prior to the IMT-GT Varsity Sports Carnival to be held in Kangar this weekend. The match started on the slippery pitch with both teams had an equal share of the game. The defence stood firm under the command of Khairul Abd Rahim while Cao Le dominated in midfield. Nor Hasrul Zainal gave some tough times to the opponent's defence with his darting run on the left. UUM made several changes in the second half with Mohd Taufikh Abdullah took over the command in defence. UiTM took the lead in the 63rd minute after the defenders failed to clear the ball out of the 6yards box and the opponent slammed from close range beating Mohd Razi Azami. UUM equalised through Wan Mohamad Aizat Md Nasri after collecting a rebounce from an attempt made by Mohd Rahizan Md Kamsani. The goal came from a very intelligent penetrating pass made by Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali to Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin on the right flank who made an early cross-in into the box.

The IMT-GT Sports Carnival 2009

After the selection of players is completed, the coaches will now get their hands full preparing the team for the IMT-GT Sports Carnival scheduled for March 27th to April 2nd, 2009. Soccer is part of several events to be hosted by University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). The Northern Warriors are drawn together in Group A with Institut Teknologi Medan, Indonesia (ITM), Prince of Songkhla University, Thailand (PSU) and University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia (UiTM). Meanwhile, Group B consists of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia (USU), Thaksin University of Songkhla, Thailand (TSU), University Sains Malaysia (USM) and host Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). 20 out of 25 players currently undergoing training under head coach, Azman Hj Eusoff, will be selected and registered for this tournament.

The Northern Warriors

The full list of the Northern Warriors is finally out. The coaches, after few thorough selection processes, believed that they had given all trainees their fair chance to show their qualities to impress the selectors. A total of 38 trainees attended the selection and that includes international students from Nigeria, Libya, Indonesia, Thailand and China. The coaches are very happy with the turn out and that reflected the interest shown by the students in donning the colors of the Northern Warriors. Full list of the Northern Warriors are :-

GOALKEEPERS
Mohd Razi Azami, Ezad Fadzril Baharuddin, Solehin Sulaiman
DEFENDERS
Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, Shankar Kuppusamy, Khairul Abd Rahim, Thevan Raman, Tharmendran Pillai Kumaran, Mohd Shahrin Mujin, Dominic Roy Joseph, Muhammad Solihein Azmi, Mohd Faderi Kaharuddin
MIDFIELDERS
Cao Le, Onwoha Kelechi, Zaki Lateh, Mahama Kalatae, Syed Mohamad Hilmi Shahabudin, Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali, Obiekwe Norbert
STRIKERS
Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani, Mohd Nasron Basri, Wan Mohamad Aizat Md Nasri, Nor Hasrul Zainal, Mohammad E.N. Elmadini, Muhamad Shafuan Abdul Hamid

The Names Started To Roll

The Northern Warriors, after their few series of trainings and warm-up matches, had come out with several names to don the jerseys and carry the challenges and responsibilities of the UUM soccer team in various tournaments throughout the year. After the match against the Kedah U18 team, the coaches had decided to list down these names :-

Goalkeepers - Mohd Razi Azami
Defenders - Mohd Taufikh Abdullah, Shankar Kuppusamy, Tharmendran Pillai Kumaran
Midfielders - Mohd Saiful Islam Ghazali, Cao Le, Zaki Lateh, Mahama Kalatae
Strikers - Mohd Rahizan Md Kasmani, Mohammad O.N. Elmadini

The remaining list will be enlisted after the match against Jitra Selection which is scheduled for Thursday, March 19th, 2009 at the UUM B field.

UUM To Play Kedah Tunas Cemerlang

The Northern Warriors is scheduled to play the Kedah Tunas Cemerlang (U18) team on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at the UUM 'B' field at 5.00pm. The coaches will use this match to evaluate the performance of several potential players to be listed in the 2nd stage of selection preparing for the IMT-GT Games.

Basically, several players had been identified and will most probably be the key figures in the team. However the main obstacle for the coaches in putting up a formidable side is the inavailability or players due to their classes and other commitments related to their studies. As for the Tuesday's match, the coaches will most likely try out the combination of several players who missed the match against UniMAP last Tuesday.

The Northern Warriors Are In For Real Business

The UUM soccer team preparing for their new season, is in for real business with the appointment of their new head coach, Azman Eusoff. Coach Azman, arrived on Tuesday and without any delay went straight into action to conduct the selection of players during their friendly match against University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) at the UUM Sports Complex.

Azman Eusoff, a professional soccer coach, had the experience in handling various professional clubs in the domestic and international leagues. His last assignment was to lead the Malaysian university soccer team and won the silver medal in the ASEAN University Games 2008 held in Kuala Lumpur. His appointment is to take charge both the students and the staffs soccer team for various competitions throughout the year. The first will be the IMT-GT Games scheduled for March 27th to April 2nd, 2009 to be held in University Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). Coach Azman had previously coached the Kedah FA, Proton FC and TNB FC in the Malaysian League and DPMMFC in the Brunei League as well as Dong Tham FC in the Vietnam League.