THE battle for the Malaysia Cup really gets heavy as four teams – Kelantan, ATM FA, Pahang and Sarawak have made the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup.
Only two will reach the final of the prestigious tournament which began all the way back in 1921.
Kelantan who won the title last year will be the favourites to qualify for the final but they will face stern opposition in the form of ATM FA, whom they beat in last year's final.
Fondly known as the Red Warriors, the team Kota-Baru didn’t do well in the Malaysian Super League as they only finished fourth and lost the title to Lions XII.
However, Bojan Hodak’s side has done well in the current Malaysia Cup campaign. Their fanatical fans will be hoping to see their beloved team retain the trophy.
Veterans like Badhri Radzi@Piya, Indra Putra Mahayuddin and Norfarhan Muhammad have done well by scoring important goals for the side.
Nigerian duo Obinna Nwaneri and Dickson Nwakaeme have also done well as both of them have made a difference for the Kelantan side.
However these players will have to get past the Gladiators who have been sensational in the Malaysia Cup. Last week, I went to Selayang lStadium to watch ATM play against Lions XII and they were just flawless.
Lions XII were humbled by Forces and one player made a difference. Mention the name Marlon Alex James, everybody will instantly recognize the St.Vincent and Grenadines striker.
The 37-year-old forward showed no signs of slowing down and he scored a hattrick to sink the Lions. He was the catalyst behind the team’s performance but the likes of Hairuddin Omar, Affizie Faisal Mamat and Amiridzwan Taj Tajudin also impressed.
Amiridzwan received a red card in the dying minutes of the game but he received a standing ovation for his resolute display in defence.
Marlon will be looking to face the Red Warriors as he savours the opportunity to play against a big side.
“I always look forward to playing against big sides. I don’t feel any pressure and my main aim is to only score goals and beat them," he said.
“Kota Baru is a great place to play but I don’t feel intimidated by the fans. I just get on with my job and spur my teammates,” adding that his team is looking to go all out and win the title.
The first-leg will be played at Selayang on Oct 18 while the return-leg will be held at Kota Bharu on Oct 25. Will Marlon be able to make a big difference for the experienced ATM side?
Based on his current form, he looks deadly and Obinna will need to be on his toes when marking the two-time Malaysia Cup champion.
In the other match-up, Pahang led by Dollah Salleh will be delighted to have qualified for the semi-final. The Elephants finished fifth in the Super League and shocked everyone by qualifying for the semi-finals.
Will they go on to qualify for the finals? In the quarter-finals, Pahang beat a PKNS side that impressed in the group stages. Led by youngsters Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh and Nazmi Faiz Mansor, PKNS were fancied to trounce Pahang but Dollah’s side maintained their resilience and composure to beat PKNS in the two-legged quarter-final.
This time, Pahang will face Premier League champions Sarawak. It will be tough and key individuals for both sides will have to make the difference if they were to qualify for the final.
Pahang’s Matias Conti will be the man to watch for this semi-final matchup as he is currently sharing the top scorers spot with James, Sarawak’s Muamer Salibasic and Wleh.
The 23-year-old Argentinian forward will be looking forward to more ammunition from Azamuddin Akil, R.Gopinathan and Amirulhadi Zainal to bang in the goals for the two-legged semi-final tie.
Both sides will also be relying on their home support. Stadium Darul Makmur has been packed with fans since they qualified for the quarter-finals while Sarawak Stadium is a full house for almost every game.
Many may say that Sarawak’s Bosnian forward Salibasic will be the key man but to me, the man who is able to unlock defences and spur his teammates is Sarawak hometown hero Joseph Kallang Tie.
The 26-year-old playmaker has been key for Sarawak this season and Robert Alberts will be hoping to see the nippy player orchestrate Sarawak’s midfield and provide service for Salibasic and Bobby Gonzales.
As a neutral, I’m looking forward to a good display from all four sides. Looking forward to a cracker!
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