All the best: (From left) Selangor coach Katsuhito Kinoshi and captain Safwan Baharuddin, Police skipper Faith Obilor and trainer P. Maniam during the Challenge Cup press conference. — Malaysia Football League
KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor are desperate to end their trophy drought this season, and their best shot now lies in the first leg of the Challenge Cup final against Police at the Stadium MBPJ tonight.
Although the Challenge Cup is considered a second-tier competition, Selangor are not taking it lightly, especially after missing out on multiple trophies this season.
The Super League title was always a tough ask, with Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) continuing their dominance. Selangor also fell short in the FA Cup final, suffering a crushing 1-6 defeat to the Southern Tigers.
Their woes deepened when they were knocked out in the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals by Pahang, while their Asian Champions League Two (ACL2) campaign also ended at the group stage.
To make matters worse, Selangor have gone a decade without a title, with their last taste of glory coming in the 2015 Malaysia Cup.
For head coach Katsuhito Kinoshi, the players must stop living in the past and move beyond their reputation as domestic football giants. Instead, he believes they need to focus on building a new legacy in the present.
“We must understand that we are living in history, and right now, we are shaping it ourselves. This is our chance to rewrite Selangor’s football legacy, so we must be hungry and determined to build a new chapter for the team’s future.
“This is not just for the players, but also for the fans and everyone working behind the scenes and supporting Selangor,” said Kinoshi in a pre match press conference yesterday.
While all fired up to live up to their coach’s expectations, team captain Safwan Baharuddin admits that Police have earned the reputation of being “party spoilers” after repeatedly upsetting top teams in the league.
He believes Selangor must capitalise on home advantage in the first leg to secure a crucial win before the return leg on Feb 22.
“We always aim to reach the Malaysia Cup final, but fate has brought us here instead. This is a trophy we have never won, and I have never played in the Challenge Cup before, so we need to make the most of this opportunity,” said Safwan.
“If we don’t win, it will be disappointing. If we do, people will still have something to say. But regardless, our ambition is clear – we want to win, and we know it won’t be easy.
“Police are the defending champions, and I call them ‘party spoilers’ because they have upset several big teams. If there was one team that I wanted to face in the Challenge Cup final, it would definitely be Police,” he added.
