Time for another great escape
Striker Jafri believes Penang can win relegation battle
PETALING JAYA: Striker Jafri Firdaus Chew believes that Penang can pull off another Houdini act in their Super League relegation battle.
Last season, the Panthers survived relegation when they finished 10th in the 12-team Super League standings with 21 points after winning their last match of the season.
This season, they are at the bottom of the standings with 12 points after 19 matches. Sarawak are 11th with 17 points and Melaka are 10th with 18 points.
The islanders have three matches to save themselves from relegation, starting with the match against T-Team tomorrow, Perak (Sept 30) and Selangor (Oct 21).
Jafri believes his side’s brush with relegation has galvanised the team and that his confidence has also been boosted by his two-goal performance for the national Under-23 team in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last month.
“We are used to being in this position. It’s not ideal but we now know how to handle this situation better. We can pull through if we can get positive results consistently,” said the 20-year-old yesterday.
“We fought hard to play in the Super League last season so we want to remain in the top flight for our fans. We won’t go down easily, we will fight for our lives in the next three matches.”
Penang’s fight for survival is expected to be affected by the injury to striker S. Kumaahran, who is ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on his right knee.
Jafri, however, believes that they would all step up to make up for the nippy Kumaahran’s absence.
“Kumaahran’s injury is a blow to us. He’s a Penang lad who loves to play for the team. But we can’t lament about our situation or his injury,” said the Butterworth local.
“Everyone has a responsibility to help the team. We need to step up and I think everyone is ready to give his best.”