All set: Pape Diakite aims to lead Terengganu to FA Cup glory this Saturday.
PETALING JAYA: If there is one Terengganu player who can stand up to mighty Johor Darul Ta’zim in Saturday’s FA Cup final, it has to be their captain Pape Diakite.
The Senegalese centreback, who towers at 1.94m (6’3’’), has stood out this season with his quality and leadership.
And the 29-year-old is looking forward to his first Cup final where he aims to lead his teammates to glory at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Southern Tigers should be warned about Diakete’s credentials.
He has faced numerous world-class strikers notably Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Georgios Samaras during his stint in the United States and Europe.
And with fellow centreback Shahrul Nizam Ros Hani, Diakite is more than ready to contain the fearsome JDT duo of Fernando Forestieri and Bergson Da Silva, who have scored a combined 48 goals in all competitions this season.
“I don’t think about how dangerous the strikers of the opposing team are. My aim is to stop them from scoring and help my team win.
“We know JDT are the best team here but we must not be intimidated,’’ said Diakite, who has played in Europe for Antwerp (Belgium) and Trencin (Slovakia) and during his stint in North America, he featured for Edmonton and Tampa Bay Rowdies.
‘’JDT were beaten 5-0 in the AFC Champions League last 16 by Urawa Red Diamonds. So they are not invincible.”
Diakite joined the Turtles from Vietnamese club Saigon earlier this year and has bolstered the club’s defence with his clean tackling, crucial interceptions and superb reading of the game.
And all of that will be much needed come Saturday.
