Lend me your ears: Sabah’s Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (right) giving a pep talk to the players ahead of the FA Cup final against Johor Darul Ta’zim tomorrow. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: The “park the bus” approach is rarely seen as a strategy worth showcasing and is often viewed as a negative tactic.
However, it may be exactly what Sabah need when they take on Johor Darul Ta’zim in the final tomorrow.
Former Sabah player Jelius Ating believes an open-play approach would only backfire on the Borneo side, as JDT are a very strong team and most of their players have the ability to create space and score.
Sabah only need to recall their recent Super League trip to the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in September, where Jean Paul de Marigny’s side were thrashed 8-0.
Because of that heavy defeat, Jelius said he would not mind if Sabah parked all 11 players in front of their goal to avoid conceding and try to hit JDT on the counter.
He stressed that at the end of the day, matches are decided by goals, not how stylish a team play.
“For me, there is only one way to contain JDT’s attacks, and that is by parking the bus,” said Jelius when contacted.
“If Sabah can score an early goal and work hard to protect that lead, they must adopt a strategy that may not be pretty to watch but could be enough to earn them the win.
“In a final like this, it won’t be decided by how well you play. The team with the advantage in goals will come out on top.
“Whatever it is, I hope to see a good match from both teams.”
Such a tactic was previously used by Kuala Lumpur when they stunned JDT 2-0 to win the 2021 Malaysia Cup.
At the same time, Jelius, who was part of the 1998 Sabah squad that finished as FA Cup runners-up 27 years ago, hopes the long title drought can finally be ended tomorrow.
He noted that it has been a long time since Sabah last lifted the FA Cup, with their only triumph coming in the 1995 edition when they defeated Pahang 3-1 at Stadium Merdeka.
For Jelius, even though he is aware that Sabah are struggling in the league while JDT are dominating, none of that matters until the final whistle is blown.
“You could see during the semi-final when we faced Selangor, who were the favourites at the time.
“They were competing at a higher level in ACLE II (Asian Champions League Two), while we were struggling in the league, yet Sabah managed to win, even if it was via a penalty shootout.
“You have to understand that a team struggling in the league are not necessarily doomed in a knockout competition like the FA Cup, because the spirit is always different in such tournaments.
“For me, the people of Sabah have long been eager to see their team crowned champions, and hopefully the players can make that happen in the final,” he added.
