Burhan Ajui
KOTA KINABALU (Sept 28): Sabah FC missed the chance to claim all three points in their Malaysia Cup Group D tie when PJ City FC forced a 1-1 draw at the MBPJ Stadium on Monday.
The Rhinos put up a much improved display in Datuk Ong Kim Swee’s first game in charge as head coach but a missed penalty and followed by a late goal from Darren Lok denied Sabah an opening game win in the country’s most prestigious football competition.
Park Tae Su (second left) and teammates celebrating the opening goal against PJ City FC in Kelana Jaya on Monday.
South Korean defender Park Tae Su had given the Rhinos the lead when he powered a shot from a 40-metre freekick that deflected off the bar before gong in after 20 minutes of play.
Both teams had a fair share of scoring chances throughout the evenly contested match but Sabah wasted a golden opportunity to double the advantage in the 67th minute.
The Rhinos were awarded a penalty kick when striker N Thanabalan was fell inside the box but Liberian international midfielder Levy Madinda saw his effort blocked.
It proved costly as Darren, an English-born Malaysian international footballer, raced onto a long ball before slotting past goalkeeper Rendy Robson Rining for the equaliser in the 80th minute.
Assistant head coach Burhan Ajui said despite the late setbacks, the one-point won on the road was a good start to the M-Cup campaign.
He said the management were satisfied with the team’s overall performance and commitment to carrying out the new game plans set out by the new head coach.
“In the second half, however, we can see that the players are getting tired and thus the mistakes that came with it.
“Levy, for instance, underwent quarantine after returning from international duty and had only several days to prepare for the game with the first team,” said Burhan, adding heavy rains in the past weeks had disrupted the team training.
Meanwhile, Burhan hailed the impact that his one-time Sabah teammate had brought into the squad.
He said Ong had only one week of training with the team but the new system he introduced had a positive impact on the team overall.
“Kim Swee’s touch has certainly brought fresh confidence into the squad.
“The players are still trying hard to adapt to the new tactical approach which may have contributed to their much improved performance with better quality game,” said Burhan.
Following Monday’s opening group fixtures, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) lead Group D on three points after their 2-0 win over Kelantan FC.
Sabah FC and PJ City FC are tied for second on one point each followed by Premier League outfit Kelantan FC.
The Rhinos will next face the Kelantan FC at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Bahru on September 30.