PETALING JAYA: Nigerian striker Ifedayo Olusegun (pic) remembers the joy of lifting two trophies in Bahrain before joining Selangor in May.
Now, he wants to win his third with Selangor.
And to make that happen, Olusegun needs to help Selangor overturn their 1-2 deficit in the first leg against Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) by bouncing back in the second-leg semi-final of the Malaysia Cup at the Shah Alam Stadium tomorow.
The 28-year-old played for Al-Raffa in the Bahrain’s Nasser Bin Hamad Premier League, which is the country’s top division, and won the league and also the King’s Cup.
“My motivation to play football is to win trophies. I left Al-Raffa after winning two trophies, now I want to end 2019 by winning the Malaysia Cup,” said Olusegun.
Olusegun joined the Red Giants when the team were devoid of confidence in the first round of the Super League but he turned things around by scoring 12 goals to help the team finish third in the league.
In the Malaysia Cup, he continued to influence the team with five goals, and is determined to bring them to the final and win his third trophy of the year.
Men at work: Mohd Faiz Mohd Nasir (centre) training with teammates ahead of their semi-final return leg clash against Johor Darul Ta’zim in Shah Alam tomorrow. —Bernama
“Selangor last won a trophy in 2015, which is the Malaysia Cup. For a club with such a good coaching staff, management and players, they deserve to end the season with one trophy.
“Training is going normal, but what gives us the extra edge is motivation.
“The one away goal will be valuable and we will do whatever it takes to bring the team to the final.”
For now, Olusegun has been rallying his team to rise to the occasion at home.
In fact, after the first leg, the club released a video blog of the team’s journey in Larkin and in that clip, Olusegun is seen motivating his teammates and even told his opponents, “See you in Shah Alam.”
“We need our 12th man. Shah Alam is our home, and we need to show what our stadium is all about,” said Olusegun.
“It’s our time to shine. That’s why I lifted the morale of my teammates in Larkin, we’ve the confidence to shine in front of our home fans.”
Olusegun said he is confident of getting a victory in the second leg.
“We worked hard in Larkin and we had the most chances in that match. We also hit the post twice. Luck deserted us in that game, but I hope we will be lucky in Shah Alam,” he said.
“JDT are a complete team and the best in Malaysia. We respect them. In the first leg, we showed too much respect in the first 20 minutes, but after that, it changed.
