SABAH READY TO FACE KEDAH

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah are ready to face hot favourites Kedah in a Group B opener of the football event at the 12th edition of the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Terengganu today.

Team manager Alijus Sipil declares the team are in tip top condition and that they fear no one, including Kedah.

“It cannot be denied that Kedah are the favourites because like us, they will also have the services of senior players. We were also made to understand that two of the players have been training with Chelsea.

“But we are not too worried about their strengths because I firmly believe that we are a formidable side. With the inclusion of several senior players I believe the team are able to spring some surprises in the Games.

The Sabah-Kedah match has been slated for 4.45pm at the Gong Badak State Sports Complex Field A, while at the adjacent Field B, Selangor will be pitted against Kelantan, which is also a Group B battle.

Sabah will be strengthened by nine Premier League players from the Rhinos’ squad.

Among them are Mohd Radzi Hussin, Zulamri Muhammad, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Harold John, Mohd Farid Saibun, Henry Parsi, Hardy Charles Parsi and Mohd Salawi Jasad.

Kuala Lumpur-based Sabahan, Mohd Ibnu Kassim, who donned Selangor PKNS colours, is also part of the team.

“Even though these players are still young, they have gained the much needed exposure or experience playing in the Premier League.

“I believe that their presence in the team will surely give us a big boost. I believe we will be able to give Kedah a good fight. In other words, I’ll say that this is a 50-50 game.

The players picked from this year’s President’s Cup squad are Azizan Abdul Said, Ibrahim Abu Nawas, Nazli Puasa, Rydwan Soeharto, Andrew Adan Markus, Azizul Madrin, Muslyadi Amdass and Mohd Azaraaja.

Meanwhile, chief coach Abdullah Awang Adi, who is assisted by Yahya Datuk Kassim, hints that most of the players from the senior side are likely to start the game.

He said that Azrul Ejati Damsah will spearhead the attack together with UMS striker Rainol Masaat.

Radzi Hussin and Zulamri Muhammad will be the main men in midfield, while siblings Henry and Hardy are likely to be utilised at the backline with the Rhinos’ second choice custodian given the nod to be the last man of the team.

After the Kedah date, Sabah will take on Selangor on May 30 before concluding their group tie up against Kelantan on June 1.

Besides the Sabah-Kedah, Selangor-Kelantan matches, five other matches will be played on the opening day of the football event.

Four matches will be held in the morning involving two Group C matches between N. Sembilan and Melaka, and Perlis against Kuala Lumpur. The other two matches are the Group D ties between Brunei and Johor and Sarawak and Penang.

The other match to be played in the afternoon is a Group A tie between Terengganu and Perak.

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No specific target for Malaysia Cup

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Lawrence Gimbang said they will not set any specific target for the team in the upcoming Malaysia Cup that kicks off on June 11.

The Sabah FA President said that it would be enough for the team to try their level best and make an impression in the prestigious competition.

“We will not set any specific target. We don’t want to give them any unnecessary pressure. But I want to make it clear that they must give their maximum throughout the competition,” Gimbang said when met at the opening ceremony of the AFC coaching and referees’ course held in conjunction with the AFC Under-14 Football Carnival yesterday.

“They must also take this opportunity to make amends after a disappointing Premier League campaign,” he added.

“Last time around, we reached the semi-finals, so they must try to do better than that this time.

On the Rhinos preparations, he said that the team have been undergoing training under the watchful eyes of head coach Drago Mamic.

In the Malaysia Cup, Sabah have been drawn in Group B alongside reigning champions Kedah, Johor FC, Penang, Police, and Kuala Lumpur. They must finish among the top two teams or at least finish the preliminary round campaign among the best two third placed teams to march through into the next round.

For the record, the 18 participating teams have been drawn into three groups with Terengganu, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, Melaka and Kelantan making up Group A, while Perak, Perlis, Pahang, UPB-My Team, Johor Pasir Gudang and ATM are in Group C.

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A PREMIER LEAGUE BOOST FOR JUNIORS

KOTA KINABALU: The inclusion of nine Premier League players is surely a welcome boost for Abdullah Awang Adi.

The junior Rhinos coach believes that with the presence of these nine players, the squad which has been struggling in the President’s Cup challenge, will now surely be formidable.

Eight players from the current senior side have been roped in to beef up the junior Rhinos for the 12th edition of the Malaysia Games in Terengganu.

They are siblings Henry and Hardy Charles Parsi, Mohd Radzi Hussin, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Mohd Farid Saibun, Zulamri Muhammad and two goalkeepers Harold John and Mohd Salawi Jasad.

And Abdullah believes that making it into the semi-finals now is a realistic dream.

A Selangor-based player Mohd Ibnu Kassim, who played for Selangor PKNS in the Premier League, has also been named in the 18-member squad. And another new player in the squad is UMS student Rainol Masaat.

The rest of the players are from the current junior Rhinos squad; Azizan Abdul Said, Ibrahim Abu Nawas, Nazli Puasa, Rydwan Soeharto, Andrew Adan Markus, Azizul Madrin, Muslyadi Amdass and Mohd Azaraaja.

Despite the presence of Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan in the group (B), the former state midfielder is convinced they will be able to reach their pre-tournament target.

“This is going to be a very tough competition, but I think a semi-final spot is a modest target for the team,” said Abdullah.

“Like us, I believe that Kedah will also be using some of their Premier League players. That goes for Selangor and Kelantan too!” said Abdullah, who will be assisted by Yahya Datuk Kassim while Alijus Sipil will be the team manager for the state squad.

Abdullah said he would be banking on the Azrul-Rainol partnership to spearhead the attack and that the rest of the Premier League players will likely taste first team action.

They will leave for Terengganu on May 25 and will take on Kedah in the opener on May 28 followed by a date with Selangor on May 30 before concluding their preliminary round campaign against Kelantan on June 1.

They need to finish among the top two to progress into the second round.

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BEEF-UP FOR CUP

KOTA KINABALU: The Rhinos are in the hunt for a foreign striker and a midfielder to beef up its squad ahead of the prestigious Malaysia Cup tournament that kicks off next month.

It is believed that head coach Drago Mamic has been given the task to look for the player or players in question. The Croatian is currently on holiday in his home country. “With almost all the leagues in Europe having the “off season” Drago is taking the opportunity to try and bring in top players for the Rhinos,” a reliable source told the New Sabah Times Sport yesterday.

“We just hope he will be able to find the right players because we are serious in mounting a strong challenge in the Malaysia Cup,” he added. Currently Sabah have already completed their foreign quota in the team. But in the case that there are better players coming, then they would have to offload two players. The current foreign players in the Rhinos’ squad are Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Dragic Dalibor, Brazilian striker Andre Scotti Ossemer and Georgian attacking player Kokhrei Dze Irakli.

Meanwhile, team manager Rahman Zakaria refused to be drawn into the matter. He also declined to comment on whether they would be hiring new local players from other teams for the Malaysia Cup challenge. “I have nothing to comment until any deal is done. But then again, it is always our practice or our policy to try to strengthen the team and among the ways are to bring in new players … be local or foreign,” he said.

When pressed further, Rahman said: “We have planned for that and if there are players who fit our criteria, we will certainly hire them. “However, most of the good players (from non-participating squads) could have been snatched by other teams … we’ll see how things develop prior to the kick off.

“If we are not able to find one, I’m happy with the current squad that we have. I have confidence in them to carry the State challenge in the prestigious competition,” said Rahman.

In the Malaysia Cup, qualified teams are allowed to loan players from non-participating teams Sabah had a disappointing season to their Premier League challenge. They failed to gain promotion into the Super League after finishing fourth behind the two promoted sides – eventual champions Kuala Muda Naza, KL Plus and Kelantan.

Rahman said they would not want to waste the opportunity to make amends in the Malaysia Cup. He went on to say that the Rhinos are currently undergoing training and most likely there would be friendly games to further fine tune their preparations for the Malaysia Cup.

Sabah has been pooled along with reigning Malaysia Cup champions Kedah in Group B of the preliminary rounds. The others are Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Police and Johor FC. The Malaysia Cup will kick off on June 11. The teams in Group A will see Terengganu, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Sarawak and Melaka, while last year’s beaten finalists Perak will lead the charge in Group C alongside Perlis, Pahang, Armed Forces, UPB-MyTEAM, and Johor Pasir Gudang.

Only the top two teams will advance into the quarter-finals along with the two best third placed teams. Sabah will open their campaign away to Kuala Lumpur on June 24.

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Malaysia Cup Group B

Malaysia Cup 2007/08 Group B

Group champion, second place and two best third placing teams advance to the next round (quarter-final).

Team	League POS	Known Sabahan player
Kedah	Super League Champions	Ronny Harun
Johor FC	Super League 3rd	Sumardi Hajalan, Madzalan Emoi
PDRM	Super League 9th	-
Penang	Super League 12th	-
SABAH	Premier League 4th	-
Kuala Lumpur	Premier League 12th	-

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NO PROMOTION!

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will remain in the Premier League for a record fourth consecutive season as there is no more hope left for them to gain Super League promotion – not even through the back door – next season.

While changes for the new 2008/09 season look imminent, but there is no hint whatsoever that a playoff for Super League promotion is going to take place. The FA of Malaysia (FAM) General Secretary Dato Azzuddin Ahmad confirmed there will be changes to the M-League next season with both the Super League and the Premier League likely to be expanded.

“We want to have an even number of teams in the Super League and the Premier League … so for the new season, the Super League will have 14 teams and the same goes for the Premier League,” he said in an interview with the New Sabah Times Sport yesterday. Azzuddin, who was in town attending the AFC Under-14 Football Carnival’s Organising Committee Meeting, which Sabah will be hosting for the second time in June, added only one team from the just concluded Super League season will be demoted to the Premier League, which is Sarawak, who finished last in the 13-team league that was eventually won by Kedah.

Newly crowned Premier League champions Kuala Muda Naza and second-placed KL Plus will be promoted to the Super League to join the rest namely Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Selangor, Perak, Perlis, Pahang, Penang, Johor FC, Police, UPB-MYTEAM and DPMM Brunei. He pointed out that the decision was made last November.

With that in mind, it kills whatever hopes Sabah or even Kelantan have to gain entry into the Super League via the back door. “The decision is 99 per cent to be endorsed at the upcoming Supreme Council Meeting (FAM – on May 13),” he said. At the just concluded Premier League, Sabah finished a disappointing fourth place behind Kuala Muda Naza, KL Plus FC and Kelantan. Despite having a good start to their season, they slumped to several unexpected defeats in their campaign.

In another development, Azzuddin said they will look at all possibilities in trying to improve the standard of referring in the M-League. “We are seriously looking into this problem. We will discus this with the referees’ committee,” he said. At the same time, he also appealed to its affiliate members to assist them as FAM alone cannot solve the problem. “There are some States who are not holding or organising State Leagues. So this does not help the referees’ cause as there is no place for them to expose themselves. Like players, they too need exposure and to practice their knowledge.

He said sending referees to a referees’ college in Japan is one of the many ways they would look into solving the problem. And Azzuddin was frank enough to say that they are aware of the low standard of refereeing in the M-League and that they have been receiving complaints from teams. But he was quick to point out that these below-par referees are not spared the whip. He said: “There are a handful of referees that have been sidelined or suspended from officiating matches following reports from the match commissioners or complaints from teams.”

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2007/08 League Statistics

TEAM

Biggest home win:5-0
(vs ATM 03 may 08)

Biggest away win: 4-0
(vs ATM 17 dec 07)

Biggest home defeat: 0-2
(vs Kuala Muda 14 jan 08)

Biggest away defeat:
1-2 (vs Kelantan 11 jan 08),
2-3(vs Kuala Muda 4 Apr 08)

Most goals scored in a match: 5 goals
(vs ATM 3 may 08)

Most goals conceded in a match: 3 goals
(vs Kuala Muda 4 Apr 08)

Longest unbeaten run: 9 matches
(vs Felda 28 jan 08-vs KL Plus 30 mar 08)

Longest consecutive wins: 4 matches
(vs Felda 28 jan 08- vs Harimau Muda 22 feb 08)

INDIVIDUAL

Top scorers: 12 goals
Andre Scotti

Fastest goal: 1st minute(25th seconds)
Bobby Gonzales (vs Kelantan 11 jan 08)

Most goals in a match by a player:4 goals
Andre Scotti(vs ATM 3 may 08)

Scoring in most consecutive matches :3 matches
Bobby Gonzalez (vs Kelantan 11 apr 08- vs Kuala Lumpur 18 apr 08)

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OFF TARGET

KOTA KINABALU: It was yet another disappointing Premier League season for the Rhinos – a fact admitted by Rahman Zakaria. “The season did not go our way and it is very disappointing despite the fact that we have the quality within the team to be in the top two,” the Rhinos’ team manager said.

But despite the failed mission, Rahman refused to put the blame on the players as he merely said “We suffered due to some unfavourable results as well as other factors, including the tight fixtures.” Sabah had eyed Super League promotion as their pre-tournament target, but unfortunately they ended their season in fourth behind eventual champions Kuala Muda Naza, KL Plus and Kelantan.

“I don’t want to take anything from the players because they have done their best. The same goes to the fans, both in the City area and in Tawau. They have been right behind us from the start, and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them all,” he added. For the record, Sabah played the first round of their challenge at the Tawau Sports Complex due to the faulty floodlights at the Likas Stadium, which was only available in early February.

The Premier League came to a climax on Saturday with Sabah ending their campaign on a winning note – thrashing Armed Forces 5-0 at the Likas Stadium that eventually helped them to unseat Johor Pasir Gudang from the fourth spot, who merely managed to end their season with a scoreless draw against Felda United FC.

In all, Sabah collected 44 points from 24 games in which they registered 13 wins, five draws and six defeats. Kuala Muda Naza were crowned champions on 61 points, followed by KL Plus FC on 57 points and Kelantan 53 points. With the fourth spot feat, a record of four consecutive seasons in the Premier League is beckoning for the Rhinos unless the FA of Malaysia decides to expand the current number of Super League teams.

And if that happens (expansion), there might be a playoff and Sabah could make it into the Super League through the back door. “It has happened before and I hope the FA of Malaysia (FAM) will give it consideration,” he said. As of press time, there was no genuine news on the matter, but a mere rumour, as the FAM is most likely to stick to its earlier stand that only one team would be demoted from the Super League and the two top Premier League teams would be promoted.

But Rahman said they are not giving much thought on the matter, as the main focus now would be the Malaysia Cup, which starts in June. “It is a different competition altogether compared to the League. Sabah, I promise, will be ready for the Malaysia Cup. “We will ensure the team get the best possible preparations to face the Malaysia Cup,” he said.

Sabah, who were the 2008 FA Cup quarter-finalists, will be among the 18 teams in the oldest Cup competition in the country. Meanwhile, Andre Scotti Ossemer finished as Sabah’s top scorer in the just concluded League with 12 goals. The Brazilian striker scored four of the goals in the 5-0 win over ATM with Zainizam Marjan adding a fifth at the Likas Stadium on Saturday.

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Sabah end campaign on a high

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah salvaged some pride when the Rhinos ended their 2007/2008 Premier League campaign with a 5-0 trouncing of the Armed Forces (ATM) at Likas Stadium on Saturday night.

The result saw Sabah finish on 44 points pipping Johor Pasir Gudang to fourth place after the club side could only manage a scoreless draw against Felda United FC.

Kuala Muda Naza were crowned Premier League champions after defeating their main rival for the crown KL Plus 3-2. Prior to the match both sides were separated by a solitary point.

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PRIDE AT STAKE

KOTA KINABALU: There will be nothing more than pride and a fourth place finish at stake as Sabah take on basement team Armed Forces in their final Premier League fixture at the Likas Stadium tonight.

Despite the fact that they are out of the running for the top spot, that will not stop Sabah from gunning for victory. “We must fight for our pride. We want to end our season as high as possible. Although things don’t look good, but there is still a possibility of us finishing fourth, and we are not going to give up hope,” said Rahman Zakaria.

“Furthermore, we want to end our Premier League campaign on a winning note,” the Rhinos’ team manager added. “So tomorrow (tonight) victory will be our utmost priority,” he stressed.

“It doesn’t matter how many goals we will score. All we need is a victory to end our season on a positive note,” he said when contacted yesterday. Sabah have had a roller-coaster league season where at one point they were the main challengers for the top place that guaranteed Super League football next season.

However, unfavourable results in several matches, including against the top three teams Kuala Muda FC, KL Plus FC and Kelantan consecutively, all but ended their hopes.

That left the Rhinos fighting for their pride towards the end of the campaign, which Rahman demands from the players against Armed Forces. “We have our status to protect and the players must give their best even though we are playing a lowly ranked team. “I hope I won’t see complacency from the players. It is a match that we must win.

With the Premier League entering its final games tonight, fifth placed Sabah are one point behind Johor Pasir Gudang on 42, while the top three teams are Kuala Muda Naza (58 points), KL Plus FC (57 points) and Kelantan (53 points).

Only the Young Tigers (Malaysia Under-19) have finished the 24-match league while the rest will play their last games tonight. Rahman said that the import trio of Dragic Dalidor, Andre Scotti and Kokhrei Dze Irakli are expected to start the game.

Meanwhile, Rahman said that the Rhinos will make thorough preparations ahead of the Malaysia Cup campaign starting in June. “That is why we must fight for victory against ATM because we have the Malaysia Cup to look forward to,” he added.

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