PETALING JAYA: The grimace on Brazilian striker Ramon Machado’s face after the final whistle of Sabah’s FA Cup quarter-final second leg match against Terengganu said it all.
He was hoping that his last match with the Rhinos at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday would end on a winning note, but the Borneo side suffered a 0-3 defeat – and exited the competition 0-7 on aggregate.
But if there’s any consolation for the 33-year-old Machado, he can take heart from the fact that he remains a well-loved character among the Sabah football fraternity.
Machado had played 28 games for the club, scoring 18 goals and providing four assists.
Earlier this year, he signed a contract extension till April 2025 but decided to part ways with Sabah on mutual consent due to personal reasons as he needs to return to Brazil to tend to his family.
Sabah coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee admits that they have lost a top player.
“Ramon’s our best striker and his departure will affect us. But we’ll look on the bright side, as this will give the other players an opportunity to break into the first eleven,” he said.
Sabah director Md Joh Wid said it was a tough decision to let Machado go.
“He met me and gave us several reasons to end his contract. After seeing his side of things, we agreed to his request,” he said.
“It was a mutual agreement and Sabah would like to thank him for his efforts. The fans love him, thanks to his goals and efforts on the field.’’
Machado’s strike partner Darren Lok commented on social media: “Ramon’s a top player, an even better guy. Big loss for the club. You will be missed, brother.”
