They won’t turn Turtle
Willpower and determination help Terengganu pip JDT to Cup final spot
JOHOR BARU: Terengganu is just one win away from lifting their second Malaysia Cup after they showed defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) the way out following a 2-2 semi-final second-leg draw at the Larkin Stadium.
The Turtles qualified for the final with a 3-2 aggregate win, after a 1-0 win in the first leg.
This will be Terengganu’s fifth appearance in the Malaysia Cup final but they have lifted the trophy only once – way back in 2001.
JDT were in the driving seat when Argentinian Fernando Marquez converted a 40th minute penalty and his compatriot Gonzalo Cabrera made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute.
But Terengganu’s Ivorian striker Tchetche Kipre scored twice in the 68th and 91st minutes to put the tie back in his team’s favour.
Terengganu head coach Irfan Bakti said that his players’ willpower and a never-say- die attitude helped them to overcome Malaysia’s biggest football club.
He singled out goalkeeper Mohd Suffian Rahman for an outstanding performance where he denied JDT many times throughout the match.
“Mohd Suffian is among the oldest players on the field and he was not really welcomed by some of the players and fans, but I’ve known him for the past 25 years.
“Goalkeepers, when they are 35 and 40 years, they have the experience, which is why I put him on my first eleven.
“He gave a good performance despite some mistakes but overall, he played brilliantly,” he added.
Meanwhile, JDT coach Benjamin Mora apologised to the club’s fans after their failure to reach the Malaysia Cup final.
“We’re sorry for the result despite playing the match well and we thank our fans and our boss Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim for giving us their utmost support,” he said.