On a wing and a prayer: The Turtles are hoping for Nigerian Ismaheel Akinade to play for them against Selangor. — Photo by Terengganu FC
PETALING JAYA: A failure to get into the final of the FA Cup will surely draw the ire of Selangor fans.
The Red Giants coach Nidzam Jamil does not want that and he is rallying his charges to bounce back against Pahang in the second leg semi-final game at the Petaling Jaya Stadium today.
They were shocked in the first leg when they lost 2-3 in Kuantan.
The Red Giants do not have the best of momentum though, as they were held by Pahang 1-1 in the last Super League fixture at the Temerloh Stadium on Wednesday.
Selangor fans are furious as their team have yet to win an away match in any competition this season, but a win in the FA Cup can appease their supporters for sure.
Nidzam has urged his boys to stay motivated for the second leg.
“Football is a combination of many things. Not just mental, you have to see the preparation and personality. Our opponents will be strongly motivated when they face us again. We have to deal with that not just away, but at home games too.
“In Selangor, you have to play for results.
“We have to get over this obstacle. We lost points to Kuala Lumpur and now against Pahang. It is not good for a club of this stature. But we will overcome this rut. “As for the fans, expectations are always higher. They want us to play well all the time. They will question us even for a draw. It is my responsibility to manage this expectations.
“The team are certainly ready to go all out to get a spot in the FA Cup final.”
Meanwhile, Terengganu coach Tomislav Steinbruckner reminded his charges to be defensive and solid in the second-leg.
“We must forget what we did in the first leg. For the second, we have to be defensively solid because our target is to get to the final,” said the Croatian.
“In the last game before the semi-final, we won 3-2 against Negri Sembilan in the Super League, we showed resilience but our defence has to be better.
The Turtles are hoping for the return of Nigeria’s Ismaheel Akinade from shoulder injury to strengthen the team.
