Heat is on imports to prove worth
Published on: Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: The friendly match between Sabah Rhinos and neighbouring Sarawak at the Likas Stadium tonight (Wednesday) at 9pm will provide a clearer picture of how the two newly signed foreign imports, Paunovic Rodoljub and Francis Kasonde can fit in with the team.Head coach Jelius Ating said on Tuesday that the match comes at the right time as he prepares his team for the start of the remaining Premier League season on July 30 against PDRM at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka."I was actually planning to play a friendly against a strong team this week and the request from Sarawak last week to play with them here was just perfect for us.ADVERTISEMENT "The outcome of the result is not important for me at the moment. What is important is the game such as this allows me to experiment with tactics and try out the new players so that I can improve the quality of the team."The match will surely give us a clear picture of Paunovic and Francis' true capabilities."We only got to see them in action during the trial and this is where we can see how they will perform against very strong opponents, whether they can fit in quickly with the team and the effect they will give to the other players."Only after that then we will know how and where to play them and what formation is best for the team before the season resumes."ADVERTISEMENT Jelius is also happy that there will be another match with the same team scheduled to be played on Sunday.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"It is also good to have another match with Sarawak on Sunday. The few days gap will allow me to work on the weaknesses of the players that may surface in the match tomorrow night, so that they can give an improved performance in the second game."
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Apart from Paunovic and Francis, the team had earlier during the open transfer window also signed up South Korean duo of Lee Gil-hoon and Heo Jaen-yeong where they played in the match against Kuantan on May 24 before the league took a one-month break. - GL Oh