Dollah proud of second stringers after fightback against Fighters
Pahang coach Dollah Salleh heaped praises on his second stringers after they rallied from behind to hold Felda United 2-2 in their Super League clash.
The Elephants took the lead through defender Mohd Muslim Ahmad (14th) but Serbian defender Nicola Raspopovic drew level for the Fighters in the 38th minute before midfielder Akhmar Haiqal Ashar’s spot-kick (47th) gave the hosts the lead.
Brazilian striker Ivan Carlos saved Pahang the blushes with his goal in the 78th minute at the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka on Sunday.
The match also saw Felda reduced to 10 men after midfielder Jasazrin Jamaludin was sent off after picking up his second booking in the 81st minute.
Dollah said they missed their imports – Nigerian striker Dickson Nwakaeme and French defender Herold Goulon – who are nursing injuries.
“For 30-35 minutes, we played very well and I honestly didn’t expect it because we fielded a lot of youngsters who were making their debut,” said Dollah.
“They did their best and I’m proud of their performance. We took the lead but then fell behind but in the end, we managed to salvage a point. Towards the end of the match our players were all locals and we pushed for a win but ended with a draw. I’m happy with the outcome.
“We need Goulon and Dickson. Even Carlos was injured but we needed a player of his calibre to lead the attack. I think we can still cope without our imports and honestly, we are not thinking about finishing high in the Super League. We are just focusing on qualifying for the Malaysia Cup. I need Goulon and Dickson to be back by then.”
The draw leaves Pahang seventh in the 12-team standings with 10 points after eight matches while Felda are ninth with seven points.
The Malaysia Cup will have 16 teams – 11 from the Super League and five from the Premier League – competing in a knockout format. The group stage has been scrapped and the competition is scheduled to start on Oct 16.