Sandwiched: Terengganu’s Nik Mohd Sharif Haseefy Mohd Lazim (black jersey) manages to get a shot through despite being surrounded by Selangor players in their FA Cup semi-final match. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Terengganu’s never-say-die fighting spirit saw them fulfilling their coach’s wish after they defeated Selangor 4-2 on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final.
The nail-biting victory saw the Turtles ending an 11-year wait to feature in the final.
The last time they reached the final was in 2011 where they lifted the trophy after a 2-1 win over east coast neighbours Kelantan.
Coach Nafuzi Zain said he is excited that they will take on Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), who crushed Penang 6-1, in the final.
“I had personally wished to play JDT in the final and it has come true. We previously only met them in the semi-finals or quarter-finals,” said Nafuzi, who fulfilled his vow by shaving his head bald.
“I’m very excited because it has been a long time since we made the final.
“There is some pressure as we always lose to them but with our fans support, we will not give up trying,” said Nafuzi.
The Turtles found themselves a goal down when the visitors took the lead in the 24th minute through Nor Hakim Hassan in the semi-final at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium on Saturday.
But the hosts fought hard, raiding the Selangor defence continuously and their unyielding spirit were rewarded when pint-sized winger Faisal Halim made his way past three players to score a lovely goal in the 48th minute.
Both teams had numerous chances to seal the game during extra time but failed to make it count which led to the penalty shootout.
Defender Shahrul Nizam Ros Hasni was the toast of the team when he slotted the winner by sending goalkeeper Sam Sommerville the wrong way.
“Everyone played their respective roles superbly despite the pressure and high intensity match in front of more than 30,000 home fans,” added Nafuzi.
“From the first half to extra time, there was only one thing that I reminded the players, that is to be confident and believe that we could achieve success. Nothing is impossible.
“It was not an easy task because they need to have strong physical and mental strength but they pulled through.”
The Football Association of Malaysia are expected to announce the date for the final this week.
Meanwhile, the Terengganu state government will reward the team in the form of a financial bonus for reaching the final.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who declined to reveal the size of the reward, said it was an appreciation from the state to the players who fought tooth-and-nail until the dying minutes of the match.
“Actually, in motivating the players before the (semi-final) match, I said they will receive a reward if they make it to the final. As it turned out, they managed to book a ticket to the FA Cup final and this is history for us in Terengganu,” said Dr Ahmad.
