The decision made by Brazilian striker Bruno Da Silva Lopes to join the Malaysian Super League with Kelantan FA has brought clarity to the speculation surrounding his future. While this news is welcomed by Kelantan FA fans, it represents a setback for Persija Jakarta, who also had aspirations of securing Lopes’ services, subsequently signing Marko Simic instead.
As reported by Utusan.com, Kelantan FA President, Bibi Ramjani Ilias Khan, has conveyed that Lopes has reached an agreement to join the club and has already finalized a contract, with his imminent arrival in Kota Bharu to formalize the deal.
Kelantan FA’s decision to recruit Lopes was underpinned by their belief in his superior performance compared to Simic. Lopes amassed 10 goals and four assists in 29 appearances during the 2017 Liga 1 competition with Persija, whereas Simic achieved only nine goals in nine matches with Melaka United in the same season. As a result, Persija Jakarta chose to part ways with Lopes and pursued Simic instead, citing the former’s perceived inability to meet the expectations of the coaching staff and management.
In view of this development, Kelantan FA expresses confidence that Lopes’ inclusion will have a favorable impact on the team, as affirmed by Bibi. In addition to securing Lopes, Kelantan FA had previously enlisted three foreign players, Margaro Gomis from France, Cassio Francisco De Jesus from Brazil, and Do Dong-Hyun from South Korea, for the upcoming season.
With Lopes joining their ranks, Kelantan FA appears to be strengthening their squad for the upcoming Malaysian Super League, and they harbor optimism regarding the contributions that the Brazilian striker will make to the team.
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