KUALA LUMPUR – Sabah FC will be hoping their key players are fit for their Malaysia Cup semi-final match against Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) today.
Head coach Ong Kim Swee said several key players, including Jackson de Souza, Jose Embalo, Gary Steven Robbat, and Khairul Fahmi Che Mat were hit by long-term injuries.
“Park Tae-soo and Sadil Ramdani are still 50-50 prospects for the match, especially in terms of fitness but the remaining players are ready to go.
“We still have time before kick-off, so I will decide the line-up based on the fitness of the players,” he told reporters after the team’s training session.
Ong added that he is aware of JDT’s strength but is counting on home ground advantage at the Likas stadium as Sabah chase their first Malaysia Cup title.
“We know that JDT is a good team in all aspects, but it is not impossible to win. In the league, they have been consistent.
“It is certainly going to be different in a knockout match and if we are able to improve from the two league matches against JDT especially in Likas, the results could be in our favour,” added the former Harimau Malaya head coach.
In the Super League, JDT defeated Sabah in both their meetings, with the Southern Tigers winning 3-0 and 2-1.
Sabah defeated Kuching City FC 1-0 in the first leg and 1-1 in the second leg of the quarterfinals, which secured their ticket to the semi-finals.
Even though Sabah had a 1-0 lead over Kuching City from the first leg, they had put extra effort to cement their victory.
Sabah were shocked when Ummareng Bacok scored an own goal in the 82nd minute of the second leg match, bringing the aggregate score to 1 -1, which forced the match into extra time.
Thankfully, Saddil Ramdani snatched the win do the Rhinos he scored in extra time.
Meanwhile, opponents Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) have been eagerly waiting to reclaim the Malaysia Cup title after losing it to Kuala Lumpur City FC last year.
In their Malaysian Cup campaign, JDT had fought hard and performed well against every club they faced so far.
JDT became the first team to advance to the semi-finals after defeating Kelantan FC 3-0 in the first leg and 5-0 in the second leg of the quarterfinals with an aggregate score of 8-0.
During the match, Bergson da Silva was once again JDT’s top performer as he scored a hat-trick for the team.
The Brazilian opened the scoring sheet for the Southern Tigers in the 12th minute before adding two more goals in the 34th and 37th minutes to complete his hat-trick.
Adding to the three goals, Muhammad Syahmi Safari made it 4-0 in the 40th minute, and Nazmi Faiz scored the fifth and final goal, allowing JDT to relax and defend their lead in the second half.
The first leg of the semi-final between JDT and Sabah is scheduled to start at 8.15pm tonight.
In the other semi-final fixture, FA Cup runners-up Terengganu will take on 33-time Malaysia Cup champions Selangor tomorrow. – The Vibes, November 15, 2022.
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