SABAH FC’s home game against Sri Pahang FC tonight (Saturday) at the Likas Stadium will be a real test for the boys.
Their rejuvenated opponents have improved tremendously with new signings and the team have performed admirably over the last few games.
Their latest scalp was Selangor FC and following the win, they are sitting pretty in third position, only behind Selangor FC who are in second place on mere goal difference.
Sabah FC drew 1-1 with Sri Pahang FC 1-1 in the last meeting in Kuantan, but in all honesty, I thought we were a much better team then.
However, that was in the past, and we must put the disappointment behind and learn from it, and focus on tonight’s game.
We struggled to beat Kuching City FC in the previous match. It is a good reminder to the players that they cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes again tonight.
We cannot treat Sri Pahang FC lightly this time around because with their current form, we can easily be punished and embarrassed by them. We have to be aware that they have great players that can cause a lot of damage. With the likes of Dollah Salleh and Singapore’s Fandi Ahmad in the coaching box, we need to prepare well for a real hard night of football.
The players who are called to the task by Datuk Ong Kim Swee for this encounter have to step up to play hard and play smart.
They have to ensure that their opponents are always in front of them throughout the match.
In order to achieve that, our backline which has been very shaky since the start of the season needs to shape up and must defend with full alertness.
Our midfield also needs to be disciplined and must not allow the opposite numbers enough space to operate with the ball.
To get a positive result from this match, full concentration is a must from all the players and hopefully we can score an early goal again.
I have do doubt we can prevail because there are many capable players available in the team, and we also have our home fans cheering for us.
Likas Stadium is our fortress and many teams that played against us here had felt the crunch with the presence of the crowd, so play for them, the die hard fans.
At the moment, only four points separate us from the second position, so a win will close the gap, and with JDT firmly at the top, like it or not all the other teams are only fighting for the second position!
