Sabah reach Malaysia Cup semi-finals after seven-year hiatus
PETALING JAYA: Sabah are back and looking dangerous.
The Rhinos have not only qualified for the Malaysia Cup for the first time in seven years but they are now on the cusp of glory with a place in the semi-finals.
They edged Kelantan with a 1-0 win at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday, which was enough to see them through on a solitary away goal advantage as both teams were tied at 2-2 on aggregate.
A 31st minute penalty from the Rhino’s Serbian midfield maestro Rodoljub Paunovic proved to be the deciding factor of the quarter-final second-leg tie.
The Red Warriors came out tops with a 2-1 win in the first leg at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru on Sept 22.
“We came into the second-leg well aware that we were a goal down, so there was no other way but to pressure Kelantan from the start with the aim of scoring an early goal,” said Sabah head coach Jelius Ating.
“And we succeeded in doing so. In the second half we continued our style of play because if we sit back and let them attack we could get into trouble.
“Sometimes in football the best defence is a strong offence and we managed to defend our goal.”
Jelius added that the team were very happy after securing their semi-final spot, saying it was a momentous achievement for the club having been exiled from the tournament since 2012.
“I told the players that if they want to make it into the next stage they have to work extra hard and that if Kelantan can defeat us at home in Kota Baru, we also can do the same here in Likas,” he said.”
“And the players were very spirited and came back to score a goal here to go through. We are also grateful to the many supporters who were cheering us on.
“We also congratulate Kelantan for the performance of their talented young players who worked hard in the two legs.”