PETALING JAYA: Kedah may be down but they are certainly not out, at least as far as wingback Ariff Farhan Md Isa is concerned.
After a 1-2 home loss in the FA Cup semi-final first leg, many are expecting Kedah to have a torrid time when they take on defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the second leg at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri today.
Ariff, however, wants his teammates to believe they have what it takes to defy the odds and get to the final.
“It is going to be a challenge because we are facing not just JDT, but the thousands of fans at their stadium.
“They are the defending champions, so for sure they want to put up a great performance at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium,” said the 28-year-old.
“But this is a Cup game. Nothing is impossible in football. We have a one-goal deficit but that will not deter us.
“We have to be good with our game and take advantage of whatever mistakes they make.”Ariff said coach Nafuzi Zain has instilled lots of confidence in his players during training sessions.
Nafuzi, known for his modern football style which demands lots of possession and passes, will not resort to defensive tactics even when taking on a top side like JDT.
“The coach always told us, in football, never fear. Believe in your game and it will lead to results. He wants us to play good football even when facing a side like JDT.”
Ariff will have to be at his best in defence as he will be facing some stellar names in the Malaysian League.
“We know JDT’s quality. They have top attackers like Bergson (Da Silva), Heberty (Fernandes) and recently, Oscar (Arribas) who is scoring goals too.
“In my area, I will be facing Arif (Aiman Hanapi). I have to be really focused when taking him on.”
The last time Kedah qualified for the FA Cup final was in 2019 when they beat Perak 2-1 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
JDT are the reigning champions, having beaten Kuala Lumpur 2-0 in the final last year at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
They also bagged the trophy in 2022, beating Terengganu 3-1 at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri
And they are odds-on favourites to reach their third consecutive final – but Ariff and Co may have something to say about that.
