Back off: Sabah’s Jose Embalo (left) vying for the ball with a Sarawak United player in the Super League match. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The Rhinos are really sharpening their horns and will be out to gore more opponents in the Super League.
Sabah notched their fourth straight win after edging Sarawak United 1-0 in their Borneo derby at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday.
Veteran midfielder Baddrol Bakhtiar turned match winner when he headed home a superb cross from Indonesian winger Saddil Ramdani in the 63rd minute.
Since their 2-1 loss to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) on July 15, Ong Kim Swee’s solid outfit have been unbeatable as they posted wins over Terengganu (2-1), Petaling Jaya City (2-1) and Melaka (2-1).
Kim Swee has certainly instilled a winning mentality in his charges and they are now just a point behind league leaders JDT, although the Southern Tigers have two games in hand.
He is glad to see his side widen the gap on the other teams in the league.
“We won another tough game. Sarawak really made us work for it. We controlled the game but failed to score more because their keeper (Tauffiq Ar Rasyid) was good,” said Kim Swee.
But despite the team’s good form, the fans still have one grouse – they feel that Guinea-Bissau international striker Jose Embalo has not been value for money so far.
Since joining Sabah in July, he has failed to score in six games.
Kim Swee admits that Embalo has been slow off the blocks but urged fans not to put too much pressure on the 29-year-old.
“We want the best out of every import player we sign, so we must give them enough time to prove their worth,” he said.
“Right now, we’re not losing games because of individuals. We’re winning because we are a unit and that is what matters.”
