Aiman Nazirmuddin
Football Tribe Malaysia
Pahang will be listed as the favorites when taking on Perak in the FA Cup semifinal at Stadium Darul Makmur, tomorrow night. Tok Gajah’s coach, Dollah Salleh, wants his men to take an opportunity of playing in front of their own fans to establish a lead in the first leg.
“I am happy that there was no problem with the suspension and injury of the players when we meet Perak tomorrow night,” he said. “Therefore, I expect all players to present their best [approach to] the game to defeat the opponent.
“This season, [our] team could only list all of our key player in the first three matches before they faced injuries and suspensions,” he said. He also added that Pahang has improved since the introduction of a new game plan, which sees two import strikers playing together.
“The [presence] of Nwakaeme and Kaimbi are needed, while at the same time other players are also expected to perform better,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kedah FA host FELDA United in the other match. The Red Eagles come into this game having bagged a victory over PKNS FC in the Super League last Tuesday, which should motivate them to perform in their first FA Cup semi-final at Stadium Darul Aman.
It was acknowledged by the Honorary Secretary of the Kedah Football Association (KFA), Mohd Asmirul Anuar Aris. “I was worried about the results of a series of matches before but was happy when the team made a resurgence and has been able to keep on winning after emphasizing tactics, fitness, and strategy. I hope that this will continue to be enhanced by the coaches, especially for [the game against] FELDA United,” he noted.
“In addition, I am looking at the relationship among the players as they are more familiar and understandable, as it will create more effective momentum in the pursuit of victory. Based on the positiveness shown by all players including young players, I believe Kedah is capable of winning.”