Terengganu's Ismail Faruqi (left) tussels with JDT's Aidil Zafuan during the first leg Malaysia Cup match in Kuala Terengganu earlier this month. - Filepic
PETALING JAYA: It’s time to stop bickering – and get on with the game!
The controversy surrounding the Malaysia Cup quarter-final return-leg match between Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and Terengganu is set to reach its climax at the Larkin Stadium on Thursday.
Both teams need a win after the first-leg match ended in a 0-0 draw in Kuala Terengganu on Oct 3.
Terengganu coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim hopes the two sides will put their differences aside and focus on the game.
“The bickering has to stop. Let both teams do the talking on the pitch now,” he said on Wednesday.
The FA of Malaysia’s (FAM) decision last week to revise the Malaysia Cup quarter-final return-leg date resulted in heightened tension between both teams. After much deliberation, both teams reached a compromise and the new date was changed from Oct 17 to Thursday.
However, there is still bad blood between the two bitter rivals. There is now a dispute between the two sides over the allocation of tickets for the travelling Terengganu fans.
Abdul Rahman, though, does not want to get involved in the matter, saying his concern “is on the field”.
“I can’t help what goes on outside. All I can say is that we have a surprise in store for our opponents. My team have come this far ... we’re not going to go out without a fight,” said Abdul Rahman, who is well aware that JDT are unbeaten at home all season and in all competitions – with 11 wins and six draws.
That’s why he is counting on his local strike force of Mohd Norfarhan Mohd, Abdul Manaf Mamat and Mohd Ashaari Shamsuddin to get their act right.
The last time these two teams met at the Larkin Stadium, JDT just edged it 4-3 in a Super League tie.
And Abdul Rahman has vowed not to ditch his attacking philosophy.
“I don’t like to ‘park the bus’. It won’t work because JDT are a strong attacking side,” said Abdul Rahman.
The Terengganu coach got it spot-on, indeed. JDT do have a formidable set of local and foreign strikers – like Argentine hotshots Jorge Diaz and Luciano Figueroa and local aces Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Mohd Amri Yahyah and Mohd Safee Sali.
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