Mustafa focused on winning
TERENGGANU caretaker coach Mustafa Kamal Wahab has played down his chances of taking on the job permanently despite leading the crisis-hit Super League team to an upset win over Felda United on Wednesday.
The win in the Malaysia Cup match, which ended Felda’s 10game unbeaten run at their new Jengka Stadium, came on the back of successive defeats to Malacca (2-1) and Kelantan (6-1) which saw Mike Mulvey being replaced as coach.
Despite having just three days to prepare the team to face Felda, Mustafa led his side to the win thanks to Norshahrul Idlan Talaha’s goal early in the second half.
Now Mustafa has urged his players to repeat the trick when they meet Perak in Ipoh in the Super League today with seventh-placed Terengganu only five points clear of their relegation-threatened opponents.
“I don’t want to think about that,” said Mustafa when asked whether he could be appointed as Terengganu’s third coach of the year after beating Felda.
“I want my players to be focused on our tactical plans and stay focused on each game. After what happened previously, this is a turning point for the players to come back fighting. They know what roles they need to play to ensure the team keep improving.”
While Terengganu have endured a roller-coaster season after starting 2016 with Ahmad Yusof in charge, Felda suffered an unexpected defeat at home against a team they trounced 4-1 in Kuala Terengganu in an earlier Super League match.
Coach Irfan Bakti Abu Salim expects his team, who were two points adrift of Darul Ta’zim before the league leaders played Sarawak yesterday, to respond to that setback against Police in Malacca today.
“We need to get back to winning ways when we play Police in our next game. We can’t fall asleep again,” said Irfan after Felda were prevented from scoring for the first time in 17 games this year.
One team high on confidence are Kelantan after their heroic fightback from two goals down to hold Selangor 3-3 in Wednesday’s Malaysia Cup tie.
Coach Velizar Popov is expected to restore winger Wan Zack Haikal Wan Nor, who scored a brilliant curling effort to cut the deficit to 3-2 against
beat Felda United 1-0 on Wednesday. Selangor, in Kota Baru today with Manaf Mamat — the scorer of a late equaliser against Selangor — in contention for a start after a season marred by a leg injury.
“I decided to make changes after we beat Terengganu because Wan Zaharulnizam (Wan Zakaria) is suspended for the league game on Saturday,” said Popov.
“Maybe others may come in but the most important thing is the spirit