NO ROOM FOR ERROR

KOTA KINABALU: With less than seven matches left to play and games coming thick and fast there is little room for error at least for Sabah’s case as the Premier League race draws to an exciting climax.

Although, they are pretty much in the race for the two promotion slots to the Super League next season, but they just cannot afford any slip-ups, starting with tonight’s tie against Kuala Muda Naza at the Likas Stadium.

But on a positive note, the Rhinos have been riding high since the start of the second round campaign where they are on a four-match winning streak, with the top two teams – Police and UPB-MyTEAM among their victims.

“We are in a situation where we just cannot afford to slip any points away from our grasp. From now on, only victory will count … to keep our fight for promotion on track,” Rahman Zakaria said.

Sabah are currently in third place on 23 points in the 11-team standings – five points behind leaders Police, who have a game in hand. UPB-MyTEAM are second on 25 points.

PKNS are also on 23 points, but Sabah stay ahead of the club side on a better goal average, followed by Kuala Lumpur in fifth on 18 points.

“When you look at the standings, I think the top four or five teams are still in the hunt for the two promotion tickets to the Super League next season.

“So the teams that can maintain their consistency or rather winning momentum will be the winners at the end of the day,” the Rhinos’ team manager added.

And with Sabah taking on lowly Kuala Muda Naza and having the slight home-ground advantage, this will be an opportunity for them to climb up as both Police and UPB-MyTEAM will have a tricky night.

Police face fifth-placed Kuala Lumpur at the MPS Stadium in Selayang, while UPB-MyTEAM take on Selangor PKNS at the Shah Alam Stadium.

And if UPB-MyTEAM fumble then Sabah will have the opportunity to unseat them from the second spot with a good victory over Kuala Muda Naza.

“We are not looking for a big win. What is important now is the three points. But nevertheless, a good victory will do the team good,” Rahman said.

On their chances, Rahman said: “We are ready and prepared to face them. We know where we stand … and although we have defeated them (2-1 in the first round), we will certainly not take them lightly.

“We are not taking any chances … an all-out attacking game will be the order of the day,” said Rahman.

“I firmly believe that the coach (Drago Mamic) has his winning formula in store, and the players have been doing great in training … I’m quite confident of achieving a positive result tomorrow,” said Rahman.

Sabah will not have the services of defender Ronny Harun, who is with the national team in Australia.

But his absence is not a problem for the Rhinos as they have an adequate replacement.

Furthermore, the ever reliable Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Nigerian Prince Eboagwu Etuwe will be around to marshal the Rhinos’ back-line.

Newly appointed skipper Rosdin Wasli is also out due to suspension, but again, as proven in the Rhinos’ last match against Pahang, youngsters Zulamri Muhamad and Hardy Charles Parsi are man enough to shoulder the responsibility.

The Rhinos’ leading striker Charles Obi is certain to start in attack alongside Price Ativie Guy.

The speedy Chow Chee Wing, S. Sunder, P. Rajes and Radzi Hussin are also likely to start the game as well with Irwan Jamil retained as the No 1 ball stopper.

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Rhinos gunning for a repeat victory

Kota Kinabalu: It will be interesting to see whether the Rhinos can repeat their first round 2-1 away victory over Kuala Muda Naza when they host the club side at the Likas Stadium today.

In their first round Premier League encounter Nigerian hitman Charles Obi scored both goals for Sabah.

Fans would want to see the home side maintain their fine run at the moment especially after thumping Super League outfit Pahang 3-0 in the Malaysia Cup last Saturday.

As Sabah vie for a top three finish in the league, beating Kuala Muda will see the team replace UPB-MyTeam in second spot, that is if MyTeam lose their fixture.

Currently, Sabah (on 23 points) are behind MyTeam (25) by two points, and trailing leaders PDRM (28) by five points.

Another team aiming for a top three finish are PKNS who are level on points with Sabah, the difference only being the goal tally.

Kuala Muda who are currently lying in eighth place with 13 points from three wins, four draws and seven losses should not be underestimated.

They have several players capable of inflicting damage such as Zimri Chin and foreign import Christian Carrasco who both have scored three goals in the league so far.

Another foreigner for the visitors, Antonio Vega is expected to partner Manzoor Azwira and Sharizan Mat Ani in providing ammunition to the strikers.

Sabah on the other hand should not rely heavily on Obi or his strike partner Prince Ijebor Ativie for goals. The recent exploits of the duo will certainly make them marked men.

Sabah's probable line-up: Irwan Jamil (GK); Prince Eboagwu Etuew, Ronny Harun, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban, Rosdin Wasli, Prince Ijiebor Ativie, S.Sunder, Chow Chee Wing, Henry Soimpon, Charles Obi, Julamri Mohd.

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FROM BOYS TO MEN

KOTA KINABALU: Rahman Zakaria has urged the Rhinos to continue fighting, insisting that the war is far from over.

“We are in the crucial stage of the season, and our fight (for honours) must go on,” the Rhinos’ team manager said.

“We are moving in the right direction. I must admit that we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel,” he added.

“I’m proud and happy to note that the team has made tremendous progress. When you look at the team, they are getting better and better with each game. So now it is important for them to maintain the good momentum.

Rahman has every right to be in a flattering mood as the Rhinos are now on the verge of qualifying for the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals after notching a comfortable victory over Pahang on Saturday.

Sabah only need one more point in their remaining match away to Police on May 26 to cruise into the knockout stage no matter what the outcome of the other matches is – which means their destiny, is pretty much in their own hands.

They are also in the FA Cup quarter-finals, and are only two points behind second-placed UPB-MyTEAM, who occupy the last slot for promotion to the Super League next season.

And that is not all, as the Rhinos are also unbeaten in their last 10 matches in the Premier League and are currently on a four-match winning streak.

And Rahman attributed the Rhinos’ great run thus far not only to the players, the team management or the fans, but also to the Head Coach Drago Mamic.

Rahman said that the Croatian who was hired early this season has transformed the team into one that can be reckoned with.

“When we look at the team, early in the season, there were no star players or any big signings. But as you can see now, he managed to turn the team around, and to achieve what he has done thus far is quite a task, but he has managed to do it.

Sabah have played a total of 24 matches thus far in all competitions, and they managed to win 12, while the other matches ended in draws (8) and four defeats – one in the Premier League and another two in the Malaysia Cup.

With their deadly striking pair of Charles Obi and Prince Ativie Guy scoring goals like nobody’s business and having a solid defence marshalled by the ever reliable Ahmad Tharmini Saiban and Prince Eboagwu Etuwe it is only a matter of time before the Rhinos finally get the rewards they deserve.

But what is more encouraging to see is Drago’s boldness in giving the youngsters first-team action.

As seen on Saturday against a side that is full of experience – Pahang – comprising either current or former national players – Drago surprisingly played youngster Zulamri Muhammad in midfield alongside Rosdin Wasli.

And when Rosdin was forced to leave the field in the 33rd minute due to injury, Drago opted for Hardy Charles Parsi to replace Rosdin instead of seasoned campaigners such as Henry Soimpon, Burhan Ajui or Zainizam Marjan, who were all on the bench.

For the record, both Zulamri and Hardy are not natural midfielders.

Zulamri is a flanker and Hardy a defender. However, the two youngsters did pretty well, and of course were supported by the experienced lads around them.

Not many coaches would take the risk of fielding inexperienced players in a crucial match like this where Sabah had to win at all costs, but Drago took the gamble by opting for the unthinkable by fielding his trusted youngsters.

“He (Drago) has developed the team really well,” said Rahman.

“We must thank him for the hard work he has put into the team. On the part of the players, they too have been marvellous. They have been working pretty hard in training. And the good thing is that they are working as one big family which I believe will bring us success this season.

“But as I have said earlier, the show must go on,” he stressed.

Against Pahang, Sabah were the better side as they outclassed their opponents in all departments.

They took a well-deserved lead in the 9th minute through Charles Obi’s spot kick.

And they could have scored more goals in the first half if not for the misses.

However, Sabah managed to extend their lead through Prince Ativie Guy’s overhead kick in the 65th minute, before Khairul Shah Mamat conceded an own goal in injury time to help Sabah record a comfortable and well deserved 3-0 victory.

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Thanks to Mamic: Rhinos' management

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah's run in this year's football season has turned for the better - thanks to chief coach Drago Mamic.

Team manager, Rahman Zakaria said the management was all praises for the Croatian coach who managed to transform the Rhinos into a team to be reckoned with this season.

Under Mamic, Sabah only lost two games in the Premier League and also two games in their Malaysia Cup campaign, so far.

The 3-nil victory over superleague outfit Pahang on Saturday demonstrated the Rhinos ability to play an attacking game under Mamic's supervision.

"We are glad to see Head Coach Mamic is able to bring about winning changes to the team," said Rahman when asked to comment on Sabah's match against Pahang on Sunday.

Indirectly, he said it has created a sort of an eye opener for other teams that Sabah should not be taken lightly.

On the chances of reaching the Malaysia Cup quarterfinals, Rahman said it looked good based on the outlook of the other groups especially Group A where third placed Kuala Lumpur had only managed to garner 12 points compared to Sabah's 15.

The points tally was important because the two best third place team would accompany the top two teams from the three groups to the last eight.

In Group C, Sabah were still in third place although the Rhinos are sharing a similar points with second place Perak and just one point behind Kedah.

Both Kedah and Perak did not play on Saturday.

In Group A, the top team Selangor were with 19 points followed by Melaka Telecom with 13 points and Kuala Lumpur with 12 points.

Sabah would enter the quarterfinals by virtue of being among the best two third-placed teams if either Telecom or Kuala Lumpur fail to win points. It may also go down to the goal difference.

Meanwhile, Group B saw Naza Negri Sembilan leading the group with 18 points, Terengganu 17 points and Melaka with 16 points.

This may change going into the last game on May 26 when Sabah face the Police in an away match.

Rahman said that while the Rhinos are comfortable, as they only need a draw against the Police to go through to the last eighth but it would not mean that the team can be complacent.

Under Coach Mamic, Sabah would go all out to secure a berth in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Cup 2007, he said.

The Rhinos next home match would be in the Premier League against Naza Kuala Muda on May 11.

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ONE LEG IN QUARTERS

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah are only one win away from confirming their quarter-final berth after notching a comfortable 3-0 over Pahang in a Malaysia Cup Group C tie at the Likas Stadium last night.

What they need to do now is to win their final group game away to Police on May 26 to claim their ticket for the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament.

Last night Sabah produced a master class as they outclassed their opponents throughout the 90 minutes of play.

Sabah scored through striker-in-chief Charles Obi and a double by his striking partner Prince Ativie Guy.

Sabah started off pretty well and managed to take a 9th minute lead when they were awarded a spot kick.

It started from an attempt from Chow Chee Wing from inside the box during a melee when a Pahang player was caught for handsball inside the area.

Obi stepped up to take the spot kick where the lanky Nigerian hitman easily slotted home the opener defeating the hapless keeper Mohd Iqbal Mohd Suhimi.

Then in the 13th minute, Sabah could have been 2-0 up when Prince Ativie picked up a weak clearance by the keeper.

The speedy Prince Ativie played a 1-2 with Obi, but unfortunately he shot wide.

Pahang’s only attempt in the first half came in the 26th minute when Khairul Shah Mamat unleashed a 30-metre shot that Sabah young custodian Irwan Jamil palmed away for a fruitless corner.

In the 33rd minute, Sabah suffered a minor setback as skipper Rosdin Wasli was stretchered out after getting a hard knock on his knee.

Sabah’s head coach Drago Mamic brought in youngster Hardy Charles Parsi to replace Rosdin.

Despite having two rather inexperienced players in midfield with Zulamri Muhammad – a surprise choice to play in the middle of the park alongside Hardy – Sabah were still pretty lively.

On the stroke of half time, Sabah were twice denied from extending their lead with Prince Ativie’s first attempt hitting the goalpost, before he unleashed a grounder that went just wide with the keeper already beaten.

Sabah started the second half aggressively and could have found their second goal in the very first minute of the half, but once again Prince Ativie’s attempt went straight to the keeper.

Once again, Prince squandered another opportunity when he managed to intercept the ball from a weak clearance by the keeper.

He only had the keeper to beat and this time his attempt went wide yet again.

Minutes later, Prince was seen changing his boots and it seemed to bring him some kind of luck as he finally managed to help Sabah extend their lead with an overhead kick in the 65th minute.

It all started from the throw-in taken by Ronny Harun. It found Obi, who back headed the ball and out of the blue, the alert Prince Ativie showed a bit of his acrobatic skill by scoring with an overhead kick that caught the keeper off guard.

And it did not end there as Sabah continued their onslaught.

Obi was close to netting his second goal in the 70th minute after nice work from P. Rajes. However, Obi unleashed a shot that went off target.

Three minutes later, Pahang could have reduced the deficit, but Abdul Wafy Abdul Ghafar saw his attempt sail over the crossbar.

And in the 76th minute, this time it was Obi who missed a sitter. He only had the keeper to beat, but unfortunately he saw his powerful attempt from close range go wide.

Then it was Prince Ativie’s turn to waste the opportunity as his close-range attempt also went wide.

But Prince Ativie finally made amends in the closing stage of the game when a Zainizam Marjan attempt rebounded off the keeper and hit his (Prince Ativie) chest and went into the net for Sabah’s third goal of the night.

Despite the victory, Sabah remain in third on 15 points as Perak, who merely managed to settle for a two-all draw against Sarawak in another tie in Kuching, stay in second spot on better goal average.

Kedah, who will take on Police tonight, remain on top of the standings on 16 points.

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Another win for Rhinos

KOTA KINABALU: The Rhinos are hot on the heels of Police and UPB-MyTeam as they continue their resurgence after a slow start to their Premier League challenge.

The Rhinos, who recorded a mere two wins, five draws and two defeats in the first round, chalked up their fourth consecutive victory since the start of the second round.

The 2-0 win over Armed Forces on Labour Day at the MPS Stadium in Selayang propelled the Rhinos within two points of second-placed UPB-MyTEAM, who incidentally occupy the last slot for promotion to the Super League next season.

In Tuesday’s away game action, it was the incredible Nigerian striker Charles Obi once more and his countryman Prince Ativie Guy, who scored for Sabah.

Obi, who is the Premier League’s leading scorer with 11 goals to his credit, scored the opener after 14 minutes of play before Prince Ativie extended the lead one minute before the break.

“It was not one our best games, but what is important is the three points gained from the match,” said team manager Rahman Zakaria.

“We had a few players down with fever, but they still managed to taste action. This clearly showed their dedication and commitment to the team.

“As I have said earlier, we did not play as well as we could have, but having said that, we could have won with a bigger margin as we created more than half a dozen chances.

“But I have no complaints because we all know that the players did their very best.

“Although we tend to lose our focus at times during games, it really isn’t a big problem because I’m sure the coach will be able to iron it out.

“As long as we keep on fighting, we will be there at the end of the season, but for the moment, it is our policy to take one match at a time because we are still involved in three competitions – Premier League, Malaysia Cup and FA Cup.

“We know the tight fixtures plus the travelling we have had is taking its toll on the players, but the coach is trying his best to rotate the players.

“Even though we have a small squad, I’m delighted to see that all of them are coping well with the challenges thus far.

Police, who edged Selangor PKNS 3-1 in another match, remain unshakeable at the top of the standings on 28 points, followed by UPB-MyTEAM on 25, Sabah (23 points) and Kuala Lumpur (21).

“We are almost there, so now it is important for us to keep winning,” said Rahman on their chances of realising their quest for promotion.

“No more slip ups … and that’s the order of the day for the rest of the remaining matches ahead,” he added.

Sabah next League game is against Shahzan Muda at home on May 11, which will be followed by their FA Cup quarter-final first leg clash against Perlis on May 15.

But before the two matches, Sabah will take on Pahang in a Malaysia Cup Group C tie on May 5 (on Saturday).

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Rhinos out to cement third spot

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah continue their quest for a top three finish in the Premier League when they travel to face the Armed Forces (ATM) on Tuesday at the Selayang MPS Stadium.

After a hard-fought one-all draw against Super League leaders Kedah in the Malaysia Cup on Saturday at Likas, the Rhinos go into the match slightly battered but nevertheless are expected to show the same determination and never-say-die attitude against the host.

ATM who beat Sabah in their first round encounter at Likas will want to repeat their success to improve their position in the league. At the moment they are occupying eighth spot with 12 points from three wins, three draws and six losses.

Sabah on the other hand are in third place with 20 points, four points behind second-placed UPB-MyTeam FC (24 points) and five points behind leaders PDRM (25 points).

However, Sabah have several players who are doubtful for the match against ATM and that may give coach Drago Mamic a selection headache in choosing his starting eleven.

Fist choice goalkeeper Irwan Jamil who was rushed to the hospital after a collision with a Kedah player on Saturday was reported to be in good condition but it remains to be seen if Mamic will field the 20-year old against ATM.

If Irwan does not make it to the starting eleven, Mamic will have to rely on another youngster Harold John, who replaced Irwan against Kedah, to start in goal.

Another concern for the coach is Nigerian striker Prince Ijiebor Guy Ativie who missed the match against Kedah due to illness. Should Ativie fail to recover in time to face ATM, Mamic will have to decide on partnering leading goalscorer Charles Obi with Sylvester Sindih or play Obi as a lone striker.

It is also unclear if Zainizam Marjan who was given a rare start by Mamic against Kedah would keep his place in the starting eleven as his performance on Saturday showed that he was still far from regaining full match fitness.

That could give other players such as veteran Henry Soimpon, S. Sunder or Bobby Gonzales the chance to figure in Mamic's plan.

In defence, Ronny Harun would want to justify his call-up to the national team with another good and solid performance and with the Asian Cup just around the corner he will certainly be aiming to impress.

Sabah's probable line-up: Irwan Jamil (GK); Ronny Harun, Ahmad Tharmini Saiban, Prince Eboagwu Etuew, P.Rajes, Azrul Ejati Damsah, Chow Chee Wing, Rosdin Wasli, Slyvester Sindih, Charles Obi, Julamri Mohd.

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