Kurniawan
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah FC will face Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri in Johor on Sunday without two of its import players.
Head coach Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto said Sabah FC will have to face JDT away without Korean midfielder Park Taesu and Croatian striker Josip Ivancic as both players are still injured.
It will be a difficult task for Sabah FC as JDT, who sit top of the table, are considered one of the best teams in the Malaysian Super League.
“We know the strength of JDT and what they are capable of doing. They beat us 4-1 in Likas Stadium.
“We need to come up with a technical plan when we face them tomorrow (today) while making the best out of all our players, especially with the tight match schedule ahead,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Kurniawan said what’s important is to field players that are 100 percent fit and focused.
Touching on the ‘offside’ trap made by Amri Yahya against Terengganu FC and Kuala Lumpur City FC, Kurniawan said credit must go to Amir as it was the player’s own initiative to make those runs.
“As I’ve said, Amir is a smart and experienced player who can read the games. He knows when to help his team to defend and knows when to make those ‘offside trap’ to his benefit. So credit must go to him for all his efforts,” said Kurniawan.
Meanwhile, Kurniawan said Sabah FC still need the service of Levy Madinda as the Gabon national midfielder is a strong player with the ball.
“Levy is able to control the game especially in the middle of the field. He doesn’t lose possession that often and his killer passes and attacking instincts are top-notch,” he said.
Sabah FC will face JDT at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, Iskandar Puteri at 9pm on Sunday.