Versatile Amri aims to tame Police in must-win game
PETALING JAYA: Veteran striker Mohd Amri Yahyah is trying to make up for lost time.
The 34-year-old missed Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) opening six matches this season with a chronic foot injury and it took him some time to find his form with the Southern Tigers.
But since he returned to the team in March, he has shown his versatility by seamlessly fitting into the team and taking over from injured Argentinian winger Patricio Rodriguez, who has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury.
The nippy Amri has scored three goals from nine Super League matches, with his last goal coming in the 1-1 draw with bitter rivals and Super League leaders Pahang last week.
Amri will be looking to raise his goal count when JDT host Police at the Larkin Stadium tonight.
The Southern Tigers are second in the league with 25 points – two behind Pahang – and Amri knows his team will need to take full points if they are to keep the heat on the Elephants.
“Last week was a bit disappointing ... we should have collected full points against Pahang, but I’m glad we returned home with a point though,” said Amri, who can play on either flanks.
“Rodriguez is out but it’s not a big problem for us. We have the best players in the country, so anyone in the team can take his place and perform.
“This game is a must-win for us ... we’re in the second half of the campaign and we need to be consistent if we want to defend our Super League crown.”
Amri has warned his team-mates to be wary of the unpredictable Police team.
“This Police side is a yo-yo team ... they’ll win big one day and then lose by a similarly big margin the next day. You can’t underestimate them,” said Amri, who is also wary of the threat posed by the two Police strikers – Dramane Traore, who leads the goalscorers chart with nine goals, and the fleet-footed Ali Ashfaq of Maldives.
“Their strength lies in their foreign players. Their local players may not be outstanding individually but they combine well with the foreign players.”