New imports a perfect fit for Sabah, says Kim Swee

PETALING JAYA: It’s a perfect fit as Sabah reveal three foreigners to beef up their squad for the Super League challenge.

Sabah coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said the signing of two Brazilians – striker Neto Pessoa, centreback Jackson Souza – and Japanese attacker Taiki Kagayama would do their team a world of good.

“They have what it takes to fit into our system. They’ve come through a thorough assessment, scouting and research. We based it on their games with their previous clubs,” said Kim Swee.

“I watched a lot of their videos, and I believe they are well-suited for our game.”

Pessoa, 27, has played for several Brazilian Serie C clubs like Botafogo-SP, Ypiranga and Nautico and scored 10 goals in 15 games in all competitions with his last club Remo.

The 31-year-old Souza last played for Brazilian Serie A club Fortaleza but before that, he has plied trade with top clubs like Ituano, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, Bahia and Goias.

This is the first time that both Pessoa and Souza are playing outside of Brazil.

Kagayama, 25, started his professional career in Finland three years ago where he played for clubs like MuSa, KPV and the former Kansai University trainee also played in the Europa League with Inter Turku last year.

“Taiki’s performance in Finland for Inter Turku was good. He’s mobile, fast and offers a lot of depth in terms of his position,” said Kim Swee.

“Not only is he fast in attack, but he works hard off the ball too.

“We need someone up top and Neto fits the bill as he has a good goalscoring record in Brazil while defender Jackson played in a back three for his previous clubs and we need someone with his calibre too.”

Kim Swee will meet the players in Kota Kinabalu on Friday as he is in Melaka celebrating Chinese New Year with his loved ones.