KOTA KINABALU – Sabah FC ended Selangor FC’s winning streak last night after they brought down the Red Giants, 2-1 in full-time.
For the record, the Rhinos had also successfully retained their fifth straight win on home ground at the Likas Stadium here.
Datuk Ong Kim Swee’s charges took the lead in the 25th minute when Saddil Ramdani converted a spot kick after Yazan Al-Arab brought down Sabah captain Baddrol Bakhtiar illegally in the penalty box.
In the second half, Selangor managed to level the playing field through Faisal Abdul Halim, or Miki among fans, in the 52nd minute.
He aimed through the goalpost but ended up hitting the crossbar. The ball bounced off the back of Khairul Fahmi Che Mat’s body and into his own goal.
Minutes after, Baddrol added another goal for his team after being awarded a free kick in the 66th minute.
From then on, Sabah maintained their advantage and took control of the game until the final whistle.
Speaking to the media after the match, Sabah gaffer Ong praised the team captain for his outstanding performance.
“Baddrol is quite an experienced player. He has a pretty good finish in tonight’s game.
“Not only was he a good player but also a good leader guiding the senior, foreign, and young players in Sabah FC,” he said.
The former Harimau Malaya coach also described the intensity of going up against Selangor.
“It was an intense match. We know Selangor is a pretty good team, but we managed to overpower them.
“We did some mistakes in the first half, but the players showed a high fighting spirit and continued to control the game well, which is important for us to maintain our winning streak in Likas.
“We have to maintain what we have done but we cannot take it for granted,” he added.
Meanwhile, Selangor chief Tan Cheng Hoe admitted they did not expect an aggressive play from Sabah and praised the host’s determination to defend their stronghold.
“We see that Sabah have more thirst for victory.
“Overall, we did our best, but we made mistakes that resulted in a goal being conceded. That is why we cannot lose focus because we know that Likas Stadium is the stronghold of the Sabah team.
“Tonight, I think there was a little tactical change and Sabah’s game pattern is so good, maybe that was why we could not play like we usually do.
“We all need to get up and get ready for the next game,” he said.
Sabah has climbed one spot higher to the third position next to Selangor, while Johor Darul Ta’zim FC remains seated at the top with their perfect winning streak. – The Vibes, April 28, 2023
