PETALING JAYA: Sabah coach Jean-Paul de Marigny said his players must shed their “switch-off” mentality to keep alive any hopes to going further in the FA Cup.
The Rhinos began brightly against Selangor on Sunday but they let a strong start slip and were held 2-2 in the first leg of the FA Cup semi-finals at the Likas Stadium.
Sabah took the lead in the 13th minute through Bosnian striker Ajdin Mujagic, who pounced on a loose ball to score past Selangor goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel Sikh Azman.
However, Selangor hit back in the second half through a deflected strike from leftback Fazly Mazlan in the 64th minute and a Nooa Laine header in the 80th.
Mujagic then salvaged a draw for Sabah with a stoppage-time equaliser, keeping their hopes alive ahead of the second leg in Petaling Jaya on Nov 30.
De Marigny was pleased with his side’s first-half display but disappointed by their drop in intensity after the break.
“We were pleased with how we started – we created a lot of chances and could have finished the game,” said the Australian.
“But in the second half, we stopped playing. We stopped being brave and went away from our playing style and structure. When we do that, we can expect problems.”
He insisted that fatigue was not to blame for Sabah’s loss of focus.
“It’s not about tiredness. The boys had seven days to recover. It’s a mentality issue – when you switch off mentally, that’s what happened.”
Still, De Marigny said the match provided a valuable lesson for his players.
“It’s a big lesson – they need to stay true to our principles for 90 minutes. When they do that, they’ll get their rewards.”
He also credited his defenders for handling Selangor’s main threat, Faisal Halim.
“Faisal is a very dangerous player, but we learned from the last game. I thought our defensive unit was solid, especially in the first half,” he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor interim coach Christophe Gamel praised his players’ resilience after they fought back from a goal down to take the lead before conceding late.
“It was a real Cup game – a lot of ups and downs,” said Gamel.
“We didn’t start focused, and we paid the price. But I’m proud of the group because they showed great spirit to come back.”
Despite the draw, Gamel was upbeat about his team’s chances in the return leg.
“Bad start, good ending but we could have won if we were more compact. Still, it’s all to play for at home. The fans were great, and we’ll give our best in Petaling Jaya.”
