SABAH FC have one foot in the semi-final of the Malaysia Cup after edging out Kuching City FC 1-0 in the first leg at the Sarawak State Stadium last Sunday.
The return leg will be held on Monday (December 23) at the Likas Stadium.
As I had anticipated, it was a tough derby match against our neighbours. The result could have gone either way as Kuching City FC had their fair share of attacks.
Fortunately for us, their finishing was blunt. We had to struggle throughout, but the players managed to thwart off any of Kuching City FC’s attempts at goal by maintain their discipline and keep their cool.
Farhan Roslan on the start list was the toast for Sabah FC when he scored in the 32nd minute with a simple header from Saddil Ramdani’s free kick.
The ball touched the head of Joao Pedro first, before falling to Themo Castanheira at the far post who then headed across the goal and Farhan who was unmarked had the easiest of tasks to head home from close range.
It was end to end play after that but it all came to nothing as both teams wasted many of their scoring opportunities.
The return leg next Monday is not a foregone conclusion. Kuching City FC are a good side this season and they are capable of punishing Sabah FC.
Sabah FC on the other hand need to up their game. We must stay focused and write off any complacency.
A one-goal cushion is not good enough in a cup tie with another 90 minutes to play. It is important to score early and hold the fort.
The players must be fully aware that Kuching City FC have nothing to lose. They will be determined and hungry to turn the tables on us.
Head coach Martin Stano needs to prepare the team really well if we are to progress to the semi-finals.
It is just a step away and the ball is now at the Sabah FC players’ feet to make it happen.
Here is hoping that some key players will not get suspended over yellow cards and at the same time some will return to the side from injuries.
On another note, our Under-23 side are still winless to date. Their last five games were total disasters. Losing 0-1 to Johor Darul Ta’zim, 0-2 to Perak, 1-2 to Kelantan Darul Naim followed by a 1-5 thrashing from Sri Pahang and lastly a 2-3 home loss to Selangor.
What a season we are having with no wins, three draws and 13 losses.
