PETALING JAYA: Sabah coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee is not pleased with the quality of the pitch at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil as he now faces injury concerns over one of his star players.
Rhinos centreback Dominic Tan had to be stretchered off with a back injury after Malaysia’s 1-0 win over Lebanon in the final of the Merdeka Tournament on Sunday.
While Kim Swee hailed Malaysia for winning the tournament, he raised concerns over the poor pitch conditions, especially the patches on the field which can cause injuries to players.
In Malaysia’s 2-1 win over the Philippines in the semi-final, midfielder Afiq Fazail had to be taken off with a Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury.
Dominic, along with fellow national teammates Darren Lok and Daniel Ting, reported for training with Sabah yesterday as they prepare for their upcoming Super League match against Terengganu at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday.
“I don’t know the full extent of Dom’s (Dominic) injury, but he has hurt his back. I hope it is not too serious,” said Kim Swee.
“No one wants their players to get injured due to field conditions. If it is knocks or tackles, it is understandable because that’s part of the game but to get injured on that kind of field at the National Stadium... that can be avoided.
“You don’t want a key player to be badly injured as that disrupt a coach’s plan.
“If the field’s condition continues to be in such a state, then the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) will have to consider other stadiums for international games.
“The Stadium Board always says they are doing something to solve the problem but there are no concrete solutions. If you want the best out of players, safety must be a priority.
“Imagine you invest millions or billions on infrastructure. You have the best equipment and dressing rooms. Not forgetting the VVIP rooms. But why can’t you look after the field? It is the most important part of the stadium.”
Kim Swee went on to say that the field issues have been well publicised since last year but there seems to be no solution to the problem.
Meanwhile, for the game against Terengganu, Sabah’s new Brazilian striker Joao Pedro could be making his debut.
Kim Swee said the 24-year-old has been training with the club since Aug 15, and has showed his commitment.
“But we can’t compare him with Ramon (Machado). Ramon is vastly experienced while Pedro is young. We must give him time but based on what I have seen so far, he is combining well with the local players.
“Terengganu will be tough opposition. We lost to them in the FA Cup twice, so we know what they’re capable of. As we are playing at home, I expect a better performance from my boys.”
