Slow and steady
Depleted Turtles hope to escape with a point in Perak
PETALING JAYA: Terengganu coach Irfan Bakti reckons getting a point will be a good result for his depleted squad when they take on Perak at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh tonight.
The Turtles’ talismanic skipper Kipre Tchetche, nursing a thigh injury, is still doubtful for the match while midfielders Latiff Suhaimi and Thierry Bin will be serving a onematch suspension.
The East Coast side clearly missed Tchetche as they have only collected a point from their last two matches – a 1-1 draw with Kedah on April 27 and a 3-1 loss to Pahang on Tuesday.
Irfan said it will be hard to break Perak, who are known for their resolute defending, and the heavy pitch following the downpour in Ipoh will make it harder for his side to play their fast attacking game.
“Tchetche is back in training, he can run now but he’s feeling pain when kicking the ball – so it’s not looking good for him. I think his chance for tomorrow is 50-50 at the best,” said Irfan yesterday.
“Perak are a very solid team when they are defending and they also have fast midfielders who can launch deadly counter-attacks. We are playing at their home and are in good form, so I expect their fans to come and back their team.
“With these circumstances, I’ll be happy if we can get a point from this match.”
Irfan added that converting their chances will be crucial as he expects the match to be a difficult one due to their opponents’ style of play.
“If our players had taken their chances against Pahang on Tuesday, we could have won the game. It’s crucial to score when you play strong teams because they will always try to fight back,” said the 67-year-old coach.
“I plan to give Lee Tuck a free role to run the engine room and I’ve told our attackers Bruno (Suzuki) and J. Partiban to be on their toes to convert their chances.”