Keningau take last shot for KDM title
KOTA KINABALU: KDM Keningau stand to lose or win the title when the KDM Malaysia League conclude today.
Second place Keningau, who are on 60 points, will take on KDM Pusat in the crucial fixture at the Likas Stadium starting 4pm today.
A victory would take them above current leaders Papar (62 points) to become the league champions.
However, it will not be an easy 90 minutes for Keningau as their opponent will be in the form of KDM Pusat, whose hate for losing have seen them make thorough preparation for the match.
“It is like a final for us,” said Keningau team manager Jickol Tengah who added, “Three points from the match will win us the league title.
“Our fate lies in our own hands and this is a situation that we must take full advantage of. We are ready (to face KDM Pusat) and all the players are in good condition.”
Jickol said Keningau were supposed to play host and play the match at their own district sports complex, but the organiser decided the tie would be played at the Likas Stadium in conjunction with the closing ceremony of the Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) Malaysiaorganised football tournament the same night.
“We have lost the right to host the game but it is not an excuse.
“I have high hopes and continue to believe that we will get the strongest of support from our fans in the Interior, including those who reside in Kota Kinabalu.
“The first round meeting (against KDM Pusat) at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) ended 1-1. There is that little bit of pressure on us tomorrow (today) but we would rather see it as extra motivation to fight for the title,” added Jickol.
KDM Pusat player Henry Soimpon said while the match would not do much to change their current fifth position, it did not mean that they would take the match lightly.
“One thing for sure is that we will give it our utmost. We hate losing and we all agree that it is better to close the season with a win, especially against a titlechasing team like Keningau,” said the former state footballer.
The league champions will take home RM100,000, followed by RM50,000, RM20,000 and RM10,000 for the second to fourth placing.
Other awards would see the Best Team receive RM5,000 while the Best Player, Top Scorer and Best Goalkeeper recipients will win RM1,000 each.
Meanwhile, apart from the top two placing which would only be decided after today’s match, KDM Kota Belud and KDM Bandaraya are already assured of the third and fourth place on 56 points and 48 points respectively.
The league which attracted 16 teams (KDM Pitas withdrew halfway into the season) started in September last year where the fixtures are played home-andaway.
The KDM Malaysia-organised tournament also created history as the most lucrative local football competition.
Apart from the league competition, the tournament also contested the FA Cup where Papar will take on Kota Belud in the final, which will also be played today at 7:30pm at the Likas Stadium.