KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan will face LionsXII in the FA Cup final on May 23 after both came through the semi-finals in dramatic circumstances on Saturday.
In Kota Baru, Kelantan sent defending champions Pahang crashing to a 3-1 defeat to advance to the final 3-2 on aggregate. LionsXII, meanwhile, withstood a furious onslaught by Terengganu in Kuala Terengganu to reach the final on the away-goals rule after the tie ended 4-4 on aggregate following a 3-2 win for the home side.
Both semi-final second legs featured red cards with Pahang reduced to 10 men when Azamuddin Akil was sent off after Kelantan's Wan Zaharulnizam Wan Zakaria cancelled their 1-0 advantage from the first leg.
R. Gopinathan equalised for Pahang against the run of play but Austin Amutu came off the bench to score twice to send Kelantan into their fifth FA Cup final in seven years. Singaporean club LionsXII became the first non-Malaysian team to reach the FA Cup final in the competition's 26-year history.
Khairul Amri Kamal scored twice for the visitors either side of a Paulo Rangel strike to give LionsXII a 4-2 aggregate lead.
Rangel reduced the arrears with a penalty just before half-time before Norshahrul Idlan Talaha scored with a brilliant scissors kick to level the aggregate score. But Terengganu lost their cool towards the end after a headed goal by Ahmad Nordin Alias was correctly ruled offside.
Rangel responded to that decision by kicking a ball at an assistant referee before Lopez pushed the referee in the back. Both were then sent off.
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