PLEASE SELECT THE RIGHT MAN

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah FA’s six affiliate members better not go for the wrong man when they decide on the next man to replace the outgoing President Datuk Anifah Aman.

It may be easy to pick a name, but one must remember the burden lies ahead for the man in question as it is not as simple as many would think. Commitment and dedication alone is not enough as nowadays money plays a big role in the success of every team, especially when we are talking about Malaysian football where we certainly lack the financial resources to run any decent development programme. To run the senior team alone or the Reserve League is already too much a burden for most teams in the Malaysian League. Neighbouring Sarawak for instance paid a heavy price for choosing the wrong man in taking the helm.

It has been a black year for Sarawak football this season following the resignation of past President Datuk Taha Arrifin, where his successor a prominent businessman failed to raise the much-needed funds for the team.

Sadly to note that Sarawak’s season has been affected by the Sarawak FA’s failure to pay the salaries of its players. For the record, the said prominent businessman has been replaced by a new man in Khaider Zaidell. Soon, Sabah FA will also be having a new president as Anifah will have to relinquish his post after the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi issued a directive barring ministers and their deputies from holding any posts in sports bodies.

So the six Sabah FA affiliate members namely West Coast Zone, Interior Upper, Interior Lower, Tawau, Sandakan, and West Coast North, will have to make a good choice or we could be the next State to be in the limelight for the wrong reasons. A former vice president of the Sabah FA, who declined to be named, admitted it is not easy to find a man to replace Anifah, especially after what he has done for the past 10 years or so.

“For what he has done, it is a very hard act to follow, and I’m wondering who will be the man in question to succeed him. I really hope he will have the same calibre or more than the current president,” he said.

“If you are talking about just managing the FA, it is quite an easy job, which I would say many of us are capable of doing. But to look for the funding is the main obstacle because to run the FA we are not talking about one or two hundred thousand ringgit, but we are looking at millions of ringgit. “For Sabah’s case, like Sarawak, our expenditure is going to be more than those teams from the Peninsula Malaysia because of the travelling costs. “Perak have publicly revealed that they were running on a budget of over four million ringgit in the just concluded season. “And when you look at that figure, it is still low compared to Sabah or Sarawak. Although I don’t know how much the Sabah FA’s budget was for the just concluded season, but I can roughly figure it out as between five to six million ringgit.

“I have been there, and I know how things work and it is definitely not an easy task. “Furthermore, one must realise that we are not getting any thing back for what we have given to the FA because we are only doing it on a voluntarily basis. “My suggestion is that they must look for someone like Anifah, who not only can look for the funds, but who is also passionate about the game. “I would also like to suggest that they should try to persuade Anifah to play a role in the FA even in the capacity as the patron because he is certainly one of our biggest assets as far as football in Sabah is concerned.

When asked to comment on a report on suggesting former deputy president Osman Jamal to take over the helm, he said: “I doubt it.” “I’m not underestimating him, but like I just said, this is not an easy job. And may I ask … can a top civil servant raise over five million ringgit year in and year out. If it is a one-off thing, I think many of us can do it, but not when it is a yearly thing. For the record, Osman is the director of Land and Surveys Department Sabah. He also hinted that the Sabah FA is going to sign big names to strengthen the squad for the new season. “I was speaking to one of the top level officials (Sabah FA) recently, and I was told that they are in talks with a former AC Milan midfielder – a Brazilian. “However, everything is being kept on a low profile until it is a done case. And if this deal materialises the new man will be cracking his head to look for the funds.

“I believe that everything will be finalised in one or two week’s time.” For the record, the FA will be holding its annual general meeting cum election for new office bearers next month.

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'Commitment and dedication'

Kota Kinabalu: Personal commitment and dedication towards the development of football in Sabah should be the criteria for any aspiring candidate eyeing the post of president of Sabah Football Association (Safa).

And above all he must have sound capability on how to source for funds to finance Safa's activities especially when Sabah takes part in the Premier League and Malaysia Cup competitions. This is the view of a Safa zone manager who spoke to Daily Express Monday.

The manager, who refused to reveal his identity, said his view is shared by a majority of the zones and in his opinion this very important criteria should be the basis for selecting the next president.

"We are in discussions over the matter as a preparation for who will be the most reliable and best person to replace current president Datuk Anifah Aman," he said

Anifah is expected to relinquish his post as Safa president after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi issued a directive barring ministers and their deputies from holding posts in sports bodies.

Meanwhile, several former State players including Safa West Coast zone manager Juil Nautin suggested former team manager Hj. Osman Jamal should be the next president.

"He possesses a high leadership quality and is well known for his warm attitude especially amongst the players when he was the team manager," said Juil adding that Osman also had the capability to secure funding which is crucial to the team.

Osman is currently the director at the Lands and Surveys Department, Sabah.

He added that funding, especially to the team taking part in next year's Premier League and Malaysia Cup, will be the main concern and without sufficient funds the team's performance would be adversely affected.

Juil cited for example, that at one time Safa was facing financial problems resulting in players' salaries being owed for months. However, with determination and expertise and coupled with the never-say-die attitude of Anifah, he managed to salvage the financial problem and as a result Safa were able to pay the players' salaries promptly.

It is told that Safa needs at least RM5.5 million a year to finance its activities such as salaries for local and import players, travelling expenses and administrative costs.

Meanwhile, Safa executive secretary Harry Baking when contacted said that Anifah is expected to chair a committee meeting sometime in November and is expected to make an announcement in relation to his presidency post. Anifah has been Safa president since 1995, and since becoming president Anifah had registered himself as a most dynamic leader making Sabah one of the most feared teams in the country.

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EX-NATIONALS TOP FA’S LIST

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah FA is trying to lure two former national players to beef its squad for the new season.

Negeri Sembilan skipper Rezal Zambery Yahya and Perak’s utility man Wong Sai Kong are both on top of the FA’s shopping list.

In fact negotiations are ongoing between the FA and the duo.

The FA Executive Secretary Harry Baking confirmed this to the New Sabah Times Sport yesterday.

“There are one or two things which need to be ironed out and once that is done, then it will be a done case,” said Harry.

The FA has been interested in signing Rezal, who is also a former Selangor player, for quite a while.

But due to the player’s contract obligations to Negeri Sembilan, the FA has to wait until the new season, as he is believed to be out of contract with his present employer.

Rezal is a playmaker and has been the backbone of the Negeri Sembilan midfield.

As for Wong, the much-travelled lanky player is quite a utility man. He can play at the backline as well as anywhere in midfield, which will surely give Sabah more options.

Besides Perak, Wong also had a stint with Public Bank and Sarawak.

Harry also hinted that they are also keeping a close eye on another former national player Hardi Jaafar.

However, he added that so far they have not approached the player, pointing out that their talks with both Rezal and Wong are their main priority at the moment.

For the new season, Sabah have retained 14 players from the present squad, including three local imports namely Chow Chee Wing, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Rezuan Muhammad Radzy.

On the local front, those retained are Rosdin Wasli, Zainizam Marjan, Ronny Harun, Bobby Gonzalez, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Hardy Charles Parsi, Mohd Radzi Hussin, Zulamri Muhammad, Henry Parsi, Harold John and Irwan Jamil.

Nigerian hitman Charles Obi will also be retained. However, it will depend on the progress of the recovery of his broken arm that needed eight screws.

At the same time, the FA has also released seven players – two local imports, two foreign imports and three locals.

They are goalkeeper G. Jeevanatham and left-back S. Sunder (local imports), and Clarrey Tabad, David Johnny and Ebby Roy Raimon (all locals).

The two foreign imports – Brazilian striker Felisberto De Oliveira and Bosnian defender Dragic Dalidor – also found their stint with the team a short one as the FA decided not to renew their three-month contracts.

The fates of two other local imports – flanker P. Rajesh and left-back Munir Amran are also still uncertain as their case has been put on hold until further discussion, while veterans Burhan Ajui and Henry Soimpon will be offered coaching roles by the Sabah FA.

All the local players who have been retained are currently undergoing training under assistant coach Khairul Azman Mohd.

The Rhinos are expected to begin their preparations in full swing after the Hari Raya festival.

The new season is expected to kick off in early November.

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FA RETAINS DRAGO

KOTA KINABALU: Drago Mamic has been retained as the Rhinos head coach for another season.

The Sabah FA is still keeping their faith in the Croatian to bring back glory to the State after a season of mixed fortunes.

While it may be mission unaccomplished in the Premier League as the Rhinos merely managed to finish in a disappointing sixth among the 11 competing teams, they did considerably well in two Cup competitions.

They reached the FA Cup quarter-finals and made it to the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.

But the plus point for Drago is that he succeeded in grooming home-grown talents in the likes of Zulamri Muhammad, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Mohd Radzi Hussin as well as Hardy Charles Parsi.

Sabah FA Executive Secretary Harry Baking yesterday confirmed that Drago will still be the man they will be counting on to turn their fortunes around for the better in the upcoming new season that is expected to kick off in early November.

He said this when met after the team management’s meeting yesterday. Harry added that Khairul Azman Mohd will remain as Drago’s assistant. Drago is currently on holiday back home and will return only next month.

In a related development, Harry revealed that they have decided to release seven players from their current squad, including two local imports and another two foreign imports, while the other three are all locals.

Those given the boot are goalkeeper G. Jeevanatham and left-back S. Sunder (local imports) and Clarrey Tabad, David Johnny and Ebby Roy Raimon (all locals).

The two foreign imports – Brazilian striker Felisberto De Oliveira and Bosnian defender Dragic Dalidor – also found their stints with the team a short one as the FA decided not to renew their three-month contracts.

Nigerian striker Charles Obi is likely to be retained. However, his future with the team will depend on the progress of his broken arm after he was involved in a car accident about 10 days ago or so.

“It will take him six to 10 weeks to recover from the injury. He has eight screws in his broken left hand, so we will have to keep tabs on his development,” said Harry.

The fates of two other local imports – flanker P. Rajesh and left-back Munir Amran are also still uncertain as their cases have been put on hold until further discussion, while veterans Burhan Ajui and Henry Soimpon will be offered coaching roles by the Sabah FA.

The rest of the players have been retained, including three local imports in Chow Chee Wing, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Rezuan Muhammad Radzy.

On the local front those that have been retained are two young goalkeepers – Irwan Jamil and Harold John.

Azrul, Hardy, Mohd Radzi, Zulamri as well as Henry Parsi will also have their one-year contracts renewed.

The same goes for the seniors such as skipper Rosdin Wasli, Ronny Harun, Zainizam Marjan and Bobby Gonzalez.

Commenting on Burhan and Henry, who will be offered coaching roles, Harry said: “We think this will be the right time for them to start to go into coaching. We hope they will consider our offer. They will not necessarily be involved in the senior team, but they could start with our junior teams.”

Harry said the team will resume training today with Khairul Azman Mohd taking charge until the arrival of Drago.

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AXE TO FALL

KOTA KINABALU: At least seven Rhinos from the present squad are likely to get the axe for the new season which is expected to kick off in early November.

Among those that are expected to be on the Sabah FA’s chopping list are two local imports goalkeeper G. Jeevanatham and left-back S. Sunder.

Locals Clarrey Tabad, David Johnney and Ebby Roy Raimon are also in the same boat as the duo.

The fates of local defender Henry Parsi and utility man signed from Johor FC Rezuan Muhamad Radzy are also still uncertain.

It will be the same case for veteran Henry Soimpon, while another veteran Burhan Ajui is likely to be offered a coaching job.

As for the case of striker Salvester Sindeh, he left the team on a mutual agreement with the FA due to work commitment.

The rest of the players are likely to be retained, including the Rhinos’ latest revelation in goalkeeper Irwan Jamil.

The other youngsters such as Harold John, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Hardy Charles Parsi, Mohd Radzi Hussin and Zulamri Muhammad will also have their one-year contracts renewed.

The same goes for the seniors such as skipper Rosdin Wasli, Ronny Harun, Zainizam Marjan and Bobby Gonzalez.

As for the other local imports, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Munir Amran would also be offered new contracts.

Nigerian striker Charles Obi, who is the team’s top scorer with a total of 25 goals in all competitions (PL – 13, Malaysia Cup 9, FA Cup 3) is also certain to be retained.

Brazilian striker Felisberto De Oliveira Jr might not have his three-month contract renewed.

It is likely to be the same case for Bosnian defender Dragic Dalidor, who also signed a three-month contract.

But all this speculation will end when the Sabah FA team management holds a meeting today. The fate of Croatian coach Drago Mamic will also be decided at the meeting.

For the new season, Sabah will continue their bid to gain promotion to the Super League after a failed mission yet again in the just concluded season.

The Rhinos finished a disappointing sixth in the standings of 11 teams. However, they did fairly well in two Cup competitions. In the FA Cup they reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Perlis, while in the Malaysia Cup, they did one step better by reaching the semi-finals before losing 3-2 on aggregate to Perak, who were stunned 3-0 by the eventual winners Kedah.

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D-DAY FOR RHINOS

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah FA will decide on the fate of its current squad next week.

Its Executive Secretary Harry Baking said they will make an official announcement after conducting a team management meeting which is likely to be held any time next week.

Harry said among the agenda of the meeting will be to gauge the performances of the team as well as to look into the reports of the head coach Drago Mamic and also the team manager Rahman Zakaria.

“After going through their reports or recommendations, a decision will be made,” said Harry pointing out that the FA President Datuk Anifah Aman is likely to chair the meeting.

Harry did not rule out of a minor reshuffle to the squad for the new season. He however refused to elaborate into details adding that this is not the right time.

“In order to strengthen the team, of course there will be players leaving and new faces replacing them. However, I don’t think there is going to be a major revamp considering that the team has done considerably well this season,” said Harry.

With this in mind, the axe will definitely fall on at least several players. Among those that are expected to be shown the exit are the local imports-with goalkeeper G. Jeevanatham topping the list.

The former national custodian has been grounded since March 17 and only featured in the President’s Cup. A below par performances against the Police (March 17-Malaysia Cup challenge) proved to be the final straw after he committed two blunders that gifted the Police a 2-1 win at the Likas Stadium.

And since then Tawau-born youngster Irwan Jamil grabbed the chance and is now the Rhinos’ Number One custodian with yet another youngster Harold John acting as the reserve keeper.

Another name that is likely to be erased from the squad is S. Sunder. Like Jeeva, Sunder was left out in the cold after poor performances.

At the local scene, it is not known who will have their one-year contract renewed, but one thing is for sure, youngsters such as Azrul Ejati Damsah, Zulamri Muhammad, Hardy Charles Parsi and Radzi Hussin are highly likely to be retained. The same goes for Irwan and Harold.

Zainizam Marjan (pictured), Ronny Harun, skipper Rosdin Wasli will still be around for the Rhinos.

But the same cannot be said for players such as Clarrey Tabad, David Johnney, Ebby Roy Raimon and Henry Parsi to name a few, they seemed to fail in winning the heart of the no-nonsense Drago.

The fate of veterans, Burhan Ajui and Henry Soimpon are also in the balance and the same goes for Bobby Gonzalez.

As for Salvester Sindeh, his contract has been terminated on mutual agreement due to work commitment.

As for the other local imports, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Chow Chee Wing, they proved that they deserve to be in the team. And Munir Imran should make the cut too for the new season. The remaining local import Rezuan Muhammad Radzy looked a little bit shaky at times.

As for the three foreign signings, Nigerian Charles Obi, who scored 21 goals in all competitions, looks certain to be retained. But the fate of Bosnian Dragic Dalidor and the Brazilian striker Felisberto De Oliveira Jr are still doubtful.

Sabah failed yet again this season to gain promotion to the Super League after finishing sixth among the 11 teams.

However, they did fairly well in the FA Cup by reaching the quarter-finals and they also made it into the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.

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fixtures & results

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Standing

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Goalscorers

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Our boys played their hearts out, says proud Rahman

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah fought tooth and nail in the second leg of the Malaysia Cup semi-final match against Perak on Tuesday but sadly they succumbed to a better team.

Team manager Rahman Zakaria said despite the loss he was proud of his team who he described as winners for their display of steely determination throughout the 90-minute match.

"The players fought their way to the last four in the tournament before bowing out to Perak on 2-3 aggregate," he said.

Sabah went down 2-1 to Perak in the second-leg tie in Ipoh after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Tawau last weekend.

"I'm proud of the players. They really played their hearts out. They showed high commitment and fighting spirit and they certainly walked out of the country's oldest competition with their heads held high," said Rahman. "We are sad about not being able to play in the final. I think it is just not our luck but that's football.

"When we looked at the game, it was a 50-50 affair. The players did not give in easily to Perak who were supported by around 30,000 fans.

"I'm proud of the players as they showed that we can fight against an elite team of Malaysian football .. at least we lost with our pride still intact," Rahman said.

The defeat saw the Rhinos marking another season without trophies but Rahman was quick to point out this was not the end of the world.

He said the rapid improvement of the team, especially among the youngsters, under head coach Drago Mamic will make Sabah a better team next time around. "For a team that was written off by many prior to the start of the current season, I don't think we did too badly judging from our performance in the three competitions.

"All these showed that the squad is maturing and with Mamic's vast experience, I'm sure good things will happen in the very near future," said Rahman.

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Rahman: Rhinos did us proud

KOTA KINABALU: Though beaten, Sabah walked off the pitch from the country’s most prestigious competition, the Malaysia Cup, with pride intact.

The Rhinos team manager, Rahman Zakaria said he was proud with the way his charges fought their way into the last four of the tournament before bowing out to Perak in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Tawau, Sabah were outdone by Mohd Khalid Jamlus’ double strike, to go down fighting 1-2 in the second leg in Ipoh.

Young flanker Zulamri Muhammad replied for Sabah but it was not enough as the Rhinos went out 2-3 on aggregate.

“I’m proud with the players. They really played their hearts out. They have also shown high commitment and fighting spirit and they certainly walked out of the country’s oldest competition with their heads held high,” said Rahman.

“We are sad for not being able to play in the final. I think it is just not our luck but that’s football.

“When we looked at the game, it was a 50-50 affair thing. The players did not give in easily to Perak who were supported by around 30,000 fans.

“I’m proud of them as it showed that we can fight with the elite teams of Malaysian football… we lost but with our pride still intact,” Rahman added while thanking the 200-odd Sabah fans at the Perak Stadium.

Rahman also questioned Perak’s second goal, alleging that it was an offside. He however refused to be drawn into details, admitting that this happens in football.

The defeat left the Rhinos with another barren season, but this is not the end of the world, says Rahman.

He pointed out that the rapid improvement of the team, especially among the youngsters, under head coach Drago Mamic will make Sabah a better team in the near future.

“For a team that has been written off by many prior to the start of the current season, I don’t think we did too badly judging from our performance in the three competitions.

“All these shows that the squad is matured and with Mamic’s vast experience, I’m sure positive things will happen in the very near future,” said Rahman.

Rahman also praised Mamic for his handling of the youngsters whom the latter had hinted will be pivotal in leading the team next season.

He said young players such as goalkeeper Irwan Jamil, Zulamri, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Hardy Charles and Radzi Hussin to name a few, proved that they can be counted on for the battles ahead.

“Some of the youngsters have broken into the first team regularly under Mamic and that contributed to their rapid progress.

Against Perak, the team played well including the youngsters, but Irwan certainly was one of the most outstanding of the bunch by producing countless saves.

“With the youngsters’ hunger for success in addition to the experience from the senior players, the Rhinos have a lot of potential. I think we are pretty much a decent team, and I believe that we will able to give a better show next season as most of youngsters will be more matured,” Rahman said.

“So now it is important for the team to continue the good work and to strive further to improve their game in order to become the best,” added Rahman.

For the record, Sabah was the only non-Super League side to reach the quarter-finals and then the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup which is the only title that still eludes them.

Kedah, who defeated Terengganu 2-0 on aggregate, will take on Perak in the final.

Sabah returned home yesterday, and they will break camp for between 10-14 days before beginning preparations for the new season that is expected to kick off on November 4.

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Rhinos fail to make final

Kuala Lumpur: Kedah and Perak are through to the Malaysia Cup final after registering wins over their opponents in their respective semi-final matches Tuesday night.

At Ipoh Stadium, hosts Perak defeated Sabah 2-1 on the night to win 3-2 on aggregate. Mohd Khalid Jamlus was Perak's hero when he scored a brace with efforts in the 10th and 39th minute.

He was also on the scoresheet in the first leg match which ended 1-1. Zulamri Muhammad scored the Rhinos solitary goal in the 32nd minute.

At Darul Aman Stadium, Kedah continued their treble hunt with a 2-0 win over Terengganu. The Super League and FA Cup champions who were cheered on by 30,000 fans, opened accounts as early as the 4th minute when Kedah's ace striker Marlon Alex James was fouled in the penalty box by Terengganu defender, Mohd Marzuki Yusof.

The resulting spot-kick was easily converted by Kedah defender Nelson Sam Martin. Hasmawi Hassan made the game safe with another goal in the 29th minute to book Kedah's ticket to the final with a 2-0 aggregate win.

The final will be played on Saturday at a venue to be determined later.

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ANYBODY’S GAME

KOTA KINABALU: Perak are certainly the red hot favourites but the Rhinos’ head coach Drago Mamic believes it is still anybody’s game until they play the last 90 minutes of the two-leg Malaysia Cup semi-final.

They will take on Perak in the return leg in an away battle at the Perak Stadium tonight.

The result of the first leg suggests that it will be the home side Perak that will be holding the upper hand over their Premier League rivals Sabah.

They will not only be having the homeground advantage and crowd support, but the away goal that they scored in the one-all draw in the first leg at the Tawau Sports Complex could prove to be decisive.

But Drago insisted that this is a game that no one could predict, including himself.

“They say Perak are holding the advantage after the one-all draw. But they can say anything because to me this is a game you cannot predict. There are 90 minutes left to be played.

“We may say that we can score four goals or five goals to win the game and it could also happen that we may concede three goals or four goals, but only the result of the game at the end of the day counts.

The only thing that worries Drago is the level of refereeing.

He said in the first leg, the level of refereeing was very poor, and for tonight’s game, Drago hopes that neither team will get any advantage from the man in black.

“I think Perak also want it the same way. We need fair play, not only from the players from both sides, but also from the match officials. And if this happens, I have no doubt this is going to be a good and exciting game,” said Drago.

He also admitted that they are expecting a torrid time in Ipoh, adding that Perak are a good side who could have won the Super League. They ended up second behind champions Kedah.

“We know this is going to be a tough game. But on our part we will certainly not make it easy for them as well. In this Cup game, anything is possible.

“And I firmly believe that we are still pretty much in this (final),” said Drago.

On the team’s preparations, Drago said that things have been pretty hard not only for him, but also the players due to the tight fixtures.

Nevertheless, he said they expected this to happen, and that they have prepared for it since two weeks ago or so.

“After the first leg of the semi-final, we knew it would be decided in the return leg, so we have prepared for it because we expected this to happen.

“So we know that we need to do the damage in this return leg. The one-all draw in the first leg they say has given Perak the advantage, but I believe that we will have the opportunity to score goals in the remaining 90 minutes. And if we cannot score, then we don’t deserve to be in the final,” Drago said.

For that reason, Drago hopes the players will give their maximum in the game.

On his strategy, Drago did not hesitate to say that “the strategy is to win the game”.

But he said it has been proven that they can take on any team, including a Super League outfit like Perak.

However, he added that it will depend on the players who will need to do the talking on the battlefield.

“The players have shown that they can play at the same level as Perak. They can dominate … they can score and in my opinion we can do it. And as the saying goes … anything is possible.

Drago revealed that he is no stranger to this kind of decisive game, adding that he had the same experience while coaching top clubs in China.

He also thanked the Rhinos’ fans, not only from Tawau but also throughout the State for supporting the team.

“Like what the President (Datuk Anifah Aman) has said we must sincerely thank the Tawau fans for the support they have given to the team. At the same time, I would also like to thank the fans from Kota Kinabalu … about 100 to 200 of them who made their way to Tawau. I believe that we have good support from fans all over the State.

“And we will try to win this game for them,” said Drago.

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Skipper Rosdin is back

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will welcome back the return of skipper Rosdin Wasli from a one-match suspension for the Malaysia Cup return leg clash against Perak at the Perak Stadium tonight.

The lanky midfielder will add that extra bite in the middle of the park for the Rhinos who looked weakened in his absence in the first leg one-all draw at the Tawau Sports Complex last Saturday.

However, Sabah will be missing the services of the influential Chow Chee Wing.

The Penang-born midfielder, who can also play on the right flank, collected his second booking on Saturday and would be serving an automatic one-match suspension.

But despite not having Chow, head coach Drago Mamic is not complaining.

He said he expected this to happen, and that he has an adequate replacement for Chow.

The Croatian said the suspension could prove to be a blessing in disguise not only for Chow, but also for the team.

“He’s a great player. His presence will surely strengthen the team. But Chow is a player who cannot play two consecutive matches at this level because he is a hardworking player who does a lot of sprints in the game. He is a player who uses his speed to overcome his opponents.

“So I’m glad that he is facing the suspension now rather than in the final because we certainly want him in his best shape (should Sabah make it into the final),” said Drago.

Youngster Zulamri Muhammad is likely to be given the opportunity to fill in the vacuum left by Chow.

Hardy Charles Parsi or Henry Soimpon are other options.

Rosdin is sure to start the game alongside Zainizam Marjan in the heart of midfield with either P. Rajesh or Azrul Ejati Damsah on the right of midfield, while Zulamri is the likely choice to play on the left.

At the backline, Bosnian defender Dragic Dalidor together with Ahmad Tharmini Saiban will be the key men.

The duo will form the Rhinos’ four-man defence together with Mohd Munir Amran and Ronny Harun.

Charles Obi, who scored the equaliser for Sabah in the first leg, will again, spearhead the Rhinos attack alongside Brazilian Felisberto De Oliveira Jr.

Youngster Irwan Jamil, who made several good saves in the first leg, will again be the Rhinos’ last man.

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ANIFAH: WIN IT FORTHE FANS

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Anifah Aman wants the Rhinos to win their return leg battle against Perak for the Tawau fans.

He said that is one of the ways for them to say thank you to the Tawau fans who have been very supportive.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the Tawau fans. They have been great and marvellous. Their support has been a great help to the team. So now we will try to win the game for them,” the Sabah FA President said.

Anifah then hinted that if Sabah win the Malaysia Cup, Tawau would be their first destination on their way back home in order to show their appreciation for what they have done for the team.

The support shown by the Tawau fans towards the Rhinos in the Malaysia Cup semi-final against Perak on Saturday was beyond words.

Even when the Rhinos were down 1-0 after former international striker Mohd Khalid Jamlus had put the visitors ahead with an overhead kick when the match was only 21 minutes old, they just didn’t give up any hope.

Their screams, cheers and everything finally saw the Rhinos lift their game and with one minute remaining before the first-half break, Sabah drew level when Charles Obi coolly connected Chow Chee Wing’s cross to score the equaliser.

However, the scoreline remained one-all until the final whistle where both teams will meet again in the return leg at the Perak Stadium on Tuesday, which is likely to be shown live on either RTM 1 or RTM 2.

The fault to the switchboard at the Likas Stadium was in fact a blessing in disguise for the team, as it has been almost a decade since the Rhinos have seen this kind of support since our glory days in the mid 90s.

On Saturday it was the Rhinos’ second match at the stadium, with the historical first being the return leg of the quarter-final 3-1 victory over Negeri Sembilan NAZA.

Fans young and old thronged the stadium as early as 6pm and by about 7.30pm the seats were all fully occupied with thousands of fans stranded outside the stadium as the tickets were sold out (13,000).

According to Anifah, their battle for a place in the final is not over and he is quietly confident the team will make their fourth final appearance.

“Although we will be playing the return leg tie away from home, I still believe that we can make it. With high fighting spirit, commitment and determination, I’m sure we will achieve our target.

“I have spoken to the players and I want them to bring the kind of spirit that the Tawau fans have shown during our two outings there (Tawau) to Perak.

On another note, Anifah admitted that he was not happy with the way the referee handled the match.

He said that it was too obvious that the referee made dubious decisions, with most of them against Sabah.

On one occasion a lunging challenge by Perak defender Ahmad Azlan on Sabah’s Zulamri Muhamad did not even earn the former a warning. The challenge could have put Zulamri’s future in jeopardy, but the referee took no notice of the incident despite the fact that it occurred right in front of him.

And that is not all as there were so many incidents where his decisions were against Sabah.

“This is one of the things that we really need to look into. If this thing keeps on happening, it will only kill the game.

“The fans have their limit, and if this problem is left unchecked … the development of the sport will be at slow pace.

“As I have said earlier, the fans in Tawau have been excellent. But if you let them see this kind of refereeing, I don’t know how long they can stand this dubious refereeing,” said Anifah.

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Sabah and Perak draw

Kuala Lumpur: Both first leg Malaysia Cup semifinal matches ended in draws last night.

At the TAWAU City Stadium, Sabah failed to take advantage of playing before 15,000 home crowd when they only managed a 1-1 draw with Perak.

The visitors scored first in the 20th minute through Muhammad Khalid Jamlus during a melee right in front of Sabah's goal.

Shocked with deficit, the hosts doubled their efforts to pounce at Perak's goal and successfully leveled the score in the 44th minute through Chow Chee Wing also during a fracas in front of the goal.

In KUALA TERENGGANU, Kedah who are eyeing a treble after winning the Super League and FA Cup titles, drew 0-0 with Terengganu at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, much to the dismay of 13,000 home supporters.

The second leg matches will be held on Sept 4 with Kedah playing host to Terengganu at the Darul Aman Stadium in Alor Setar while the Perak will have the advantange of home ground in Ipoh in the match against Sabah. - Bernama

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SABAH-PERAK DRAW

TAWAU: The atmosphere was electrifying, the fans were magnificent, but Sabah still failed to gain any advantage as they were held to a one-all draw by visiting Perak in the first leg of the Malaysia Cup semi-finals at the Tawau Sports Complex field last night.

It was not the result Sabah wanted, but it was certainly better than losing the game.

Both teams will meet again in the return leg on Tuesday at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh to decide who deserves to earn a place in the final that has been slated for September 8.

Now Perak are certainly the hot favourites. Not only will they be holding the home-ground advantage, but the goal they scored could prove to be crucial especially if we take the away goals rule into account.

But Rahman Zakaria said that they are not about to surrender just yet.

“It is still a 50-50 contest,” the Rhinos’ team manager said when met after the match.

“Anything can still happen. This is still a possible mission. And we are not going to give up so easily, but will fight it out until the final whistle,” he added.

The more than 13,000 fans who cheered the Rhinos from the start were stunned when former international Mohd Khalid Jamlus struck the opener for the visitors with an overhead kick during a goalmouth melee in the 21st minute of the game.

But Sabah were not to be denied an equaliser after Charles Obi coolly connected with Chow Chee Wing’s corner kick one minute before the break.

It was a fair result for both sides, but one could say that it was second class refereeing by the man in black in Mohd Yussof Mat Karim.

In fact the match could have gone either way with both sides having enough chances to win the game, but poor finishing or fine goalkeeping by both custodians left the match in a draw.

Sabah’s Felisberto De Oliveira Jr missed a sitter in the closing minutes of the game, shooting wide.

“The fans were marvellous and on behalf of the team, I would like to say a big thank you to them all,” said Rahman.

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