PETALING JAYA: Selangor midfielder Nooa Laine remains confident that his side can seal their spot in the FA Cup final despite being held to a 2–2 draw by Sabah in the semi-final first leg at the Likas Stadium on Sunday.
The Red Giants fell behind early when Bosnian striker Ajdin Mujagic opened the scoring for Sabah in the 13th minute.
But Selangor fought back strongly in the second half, with Fazly Mazlan equalising through a deflected strike in the 64th minute before Nooa himself put the visitors ahead in the 80th minute with a well-timed header.
However, Mujagic struck again deep into stoppage time to salvage a draw for Sabah and keep the tie finely poised ahead of the return leg at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Nov 30.
While disappointed not to leave Kota Kinabalu with a win, Nooa said the team remain upbeat and determined to finish the job at home.
“Of course, I’m disappointed – I think we should have taken the win,” said the 23-year-old Finnish-Malaysian midfielder.
“But there’s still a second leg to play, and I’m confident we can go through. It’s going to be a tough match, but it’s always difficult for other teams to come to our home. We’re very strong when we play at home, so I believe we can qualify for the final again.”
Nooa credited Selangor’s improved performance in the second half to better composure and patience on the ball, which allowed them to control much of the play.
“We talked in the locker room about keeping the ball more and being patient,” he said.
“We didn’t want to force things – just wait for the right moments and find the right passes.”
