Olusegun warns teammates not to blow their chances in q-finals

PETALING JAYA: Selangor’s Ifedayo Olusegun (pic) have told his teammates not to ruin what they have worked so hard for.

After undergoing a treacherous journey to qualify for the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals, the 28-year-old Nigerian said the players now have a fresh start to redeem themselves.

Olusegun said even though he respects Perak, who are the defending champions, he believes a wiser Selangor will prevail in the two-legged quarter-final which starts at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh today.

“We went through a tough group outing to get to this stage. The team are playing much better, which means we are doing something right,” said Olusegun.

“There are no limits to what we can achieve as we have the players.

“What we need to do now is to have more confidence in ourselves.”

Although Selangor topped Group D with 10 points, they had to wait until their last match to qualify when they defeated Felda United 2-0 on Sept 18.

Selangor will once again rely on Olusegun to deliver the goods as the former Melaka and Felda hitman has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season, three in six Cup ties.

Meanwhile, his Perak counterpart Ronaldo Silva has vowed to help them go all the way to a second consecutive final.

He is Perak’s top goalscorer with 11 goals in all competitions and has also scored three goals in six Cup matches.

Both fans are anticipating a mouth-watering clash between the two strikers but Ronaldo is unperturbed as he is more keen to help his team win.

“Olusegun is doing an excellent job for Selangor and as for me, I just want to focus on my form and not really dwell on the competition between us.

“They are a top side and if we beat them, confidence will be high for the return leg.”

Despite his goal-scoring prowess, the Brazilian was criticised for his lack of motivation and some even said he was not good enough for the team.

But he silenced them by scoring two goals in the last-two matches to help Perak finish runners-up in Group C.

“I play for my family. They are my motivation. Whenever I’m at my lowest ebb, they help me come out of it.”