Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah FC may have to do without Ramon Machado and Saddil Ramdani in the season opener against Penang FC at Likas Stadium at 5.45pm, today (Sunday).

Head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said the two players have yet to regain full fitness from injuries sustained during the recent Sabah Maju Jaya Cup (SMJ) 2024 tournament.

“We still have more than a day to monitor their fitness before making  the final decision.

“We will not take any risks at the start of the Super League season and we will have to plan other options to fill the void if they are not available tomorrow.

“Apart from the duo, S. Kumaahran is also on the injury list while Damien Lim is definitely out of action for six to eight weeks.

“We are still monitoring his (Damien) progress and he will need a longer time to regain his fitness level.”

On the match tonight, he reckoned it will not be an easy encounter as the visiting team has acquired Akmal Rizal Ahmad as the new head coach and several quality players.

“Penang FC have  prepared well with many  pre-season friendly matches and they also arrived here two days early to prepare for the match with us tomorrow. This shows that they are very serious about making an impact in the new season.”

However, Ong is confident his players are up to the challenge following the win at the SMJ Cup. 

He said they tried to rectify the weaknesses of the team found during the SMJ Cup tournament and also to further improve their strength so as to get a positive result against Penang FC.

He also called the fans to come in big numbers to give their support to the team tonight.

For the record, Sabah FC grabbed all six points against Penang FC last season with away 2-1  and 5-2 home wins.