Rhinos face must-win match
A simple 1-0 win against Kelantan is all that is needed for Sabah to reach the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup compe on.
KOTA KINABALU: A simple 1-0 win against Kelantan is all that is needed for Sabah to reach the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup competition.
To this end, head coach Jelius Ating revealed that he had a special formula which will hopefully deliver victory in this second quarter final match at the Likas Stadium tonight.
“We reviewed the recording of the first match and formulated a plan to try and overcome the 2-1 advantage that Kelantan have against us. I hope our players can implement what we have planned.
“Kelantan are a strong team, they have young players who work really hard but we have our own way to overcome them,” he said when contacted here yesterday.
Without revealing his game strategy, Jelius said he will entrust the same first-11 line-up to try and pull Sabah through.
He said the team were ready for the challenge and that all players with the exception of Randy Baruh were available for the match.
The defender had been suspended after being shown red in the first quarter-final match last Saturday.
“We will maintain the same line-up but we will have to replace Randy who is suspended after a red card incident in Kota Bharu last week.
“So far, we have Dendy Lowa to take his place, but other players are available too. We will see how it goes later,” Jelius said.
Sabah must overcome Kelantan by at least 1-0 to make it through on the away goal advantage rule.
To help give the squad a boost of confidence, Jelius called on all fans to turn up in numbers for support.
“Playing at home should be an advantage to us and we should make this a mission where players and fans unite. This will give the extra boost of confidence that we need to try and overcome the opponent.
“They (Kelantan) had a huge crowd in Kota Bharu and the presence of so many supporters undoubtedly made an impact on their players. The cheers from their fans helped to give them the edge.
“If they (Kelantan fans) can rally behind their team, then I think we should be able to get the same support from our fans too. Therefore, I hope all fans will turn up to fill the stands and help sing us to victory,” he said.
Jelius said solid support from the fans will help complete the team’s efforts to prepare for this clash where Sabah must fight back to overcome the 1-2 deficit from the first quarter-final match.
Sabah’s probable line-up includes custodian Rozaimie Rohim, Rawilson Batuil, Francis Kasonde, Alto Linus, Dendy Lowa, Mohd Azzizan Nordin, Sabri Sahar, Maxsius Musa, Hamran Peter, Rodoljub Paunovic and Hector Omar Ramos Lebron (Pito).
Early tickets for Sabah-Kelantan match nearly sold out
KOTA KINABALU: Almost all of the 10,000 tickets on sale yesterday for the Malaysia Cup quarter-final match between Sabah and Kelantan at the Likas Stadium tonight were sold out.
Football fans began gathering even before the ticket counter opened at 10am and overwhelming response forced sales to prolong until 6pm.
Sabah Football Association (SAFA) Gate and Ticket Sales Committee chairman Samsuddin Mohd Shah said a total of 9,828 tickets were sold when the counters closed.
Another 12,000 plus tickets will be available for sale beginning 9.30am today.
Those who wish to purchase tickets are urged to come early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets are priced at RM20 for grand stand seats and RM10 for open seating.