Win a must to keep hopes alive – Peter
Sabah Tambadaus may have won the Premier League title this season, but current form clearly shows they are struggling to find their footing in the Malaysia Cup competition.
Sabah Tambadaus may have won the Premier League title this season, but current form clearly shows they are struggling to find their footing in the Malaysia Cup competition.
The match against Pahang at the Darul Makmur Stadium in Kuantan tonight could be the last hope for Jelius Ating's side to come off with an outside chance of getting past the group stage.
They have only two matches remaining - against Perak and Penang after losing to the same opponents at the start of their Group C campaign earlier this month.
The home defeat to Pahang at the Likas Stadium last week was a clear indication that the Tamdabaus are far off the peak when they won the league title last month.
However, others believe there is some fight left in the Tambadaus to try and make it to the quarterfinals. To do so, they must win the match tonight and hope for positive results in their remaining two games.
Sabah FA president Datuk Peter Anthony said he was confident the team could do better than in their previous three matches.
“We have seen the team perform well many times this season. If they can perform well I am confident that they will be comparable to any team in this competition.
“We have yet to see their best performance in this competition. Hopefully, we can see it tomorrow because things are looking bleak and we desperately need a win to keep alive our hopes of reaching the quarterfinals,” he said.
Peter, who is also Minister of Infrastructure Development, said the line-up was no longer an issue as all players had the experience and exposure that led to the Super League promotion, which they had targeted from the start of the season.
“I am confident that any of the players listed will be up to the task and I believe the coaches have formulated a strategy to help us win,” he said.
Sabah are heading into this opening fixture (of round two) with no points and from the bottom of the Group C standings.
They lost 3-0 to Perak and 2-1 to Penang, while the home match against Pahang last week also ended in defeat (2-1).
Pahang top the group with nine points while Perak and Penang have four each. Only the top two teams will make it to the next round.