Terengganu FC have been a side on the ascendancy in Malaysia in recent seasons and they will represent their nation, along with Kuala Lumpur City FC, in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ – the group stage of which kicks off on August 21.
After reaching two domestic cup finals in as many years, the Turtles are no strangers to navigating knockout competitions and will be keen to go one step further when they appear in the inaugural Shopee Cup during the 2024/25 season.
Honours
Malaysia FA Cup (2): 2011, 2000
Malaysia Cup (1): 2001
Malaysian Charity Shield (1): 2001
Malaysian Second Division (2): 1998, 1990
Club highlights
Terengganu FC have been a force to be reckoned with in the domestic circuit for much of the past decade and particularly during the past two seasons during which they have proven in no uncertain terms that they are on an upward trajectory by reaching the final of the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The club have also been regulars in the Malaysia Super League since 2006 – except for the 2017 season when they were relegated to the second division but bounced back immediately. The Turtles’ best performance in the Malaysian top flight has been finishing runners-up on four occasions -- in 1992, 2001, 2011 and 2022.
Head coach: Tomislav Steinbruckner
Tomislav Steinbruckner swapped the technical director role for the head coach job at Terengganu at the end of 2022 by filling the vacancy left behind by Nafuzi Zain. The 57-year-old began his playing career with Croatian club Osijek and ended it at Singapore Armed Forces FC before taking up the head coach job at Osijek in 2008. His first foray into Malaysia came in 2015 with T-Team before he returned to Terengganu to take the reins of the Turtles where he will target the first silverware of his coaching career.
Key player: Ivan Mamut
Ivan Mamut came to Malaysia with plenty of experience playing in the Croatian and Romanian top divisions and made himself a Terengganu fan favourite in his debut season by scoring 11 goals in the Super League – including a hat-trick against Kelantan FC – and a further nine goals in the club’s impressive run in the Malaysia Cup. Terengganu fans will hope to see more of the same from their frontman through the course of the new season.
One to watch: Ubaidullah Shamsul
Part of the Malaysia side that emerged victorious in the AFF U-19 Championship in 2022, Ubaidullah Shamsul has already established himself as a first-choice centre-back in the Terengganu squad at the age of 20. A versatile defender who is calm and composed and has the ability to play from the back, Ubaidullah could force himself into the senior national team setup soon if he continues his rise at the club level.
Did you know?
Harimau Malaya superstar Safawi Rasid returned to his home state of Terengganu earlier this year to reunite with Tomislav Steinbruckner with whom he worked during his early days with T-Team. Safawi, who came through the ranks at T-Team, left the club to join Johor Darul Ta’zim in 2016 before moving back to Terengganu with the Turtles on a loan deal and now wears the captain’s armband.
Shopee Cup fixtures
Terengganu FC vs Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC (21 August, 2024)
Terengganu FC vs Đông Á Thanh Hóa FC (25 September, 2024)
Shan United FC vs Terengganu FC (8 January, 2025)
Terengganu FC vs PSM Makassar (22 January, 2025)
BG Pathum United vs Terengganu FC (5 February, 2025)
Photo: Terengganu FC
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