PETALING JAYA: Sabah and Kuala Lumpur had to deal with a damp and heavy pitch at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu as they battled to a 1-1 draw in the Super League on Friday.
KL winger Safawi Rasid, on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), admitted that the weather and the delayed kickoff tested both teams’ patience.
“The game started late and the pitch was heavy,” said the 28-year-old.
“We had to warm up several times, go in and out of the pitch, and the match eventually kicked off at 9.15pm instead of the scheduled 8.15pm.
“Overall, I’m satisfied because playing under such conditions in Kota Kinabalu and leaving with a point is not easy.”
Safawi fired the City Boys ahead in the 50th minute with a well-taken finish, but the Rhinos drew level through Bosnian striker Ajdin Mujagic in the 67th minute.
Despite the draw, KL remain second in the league standings with 29 points from 14 matches, while Sabah sit eighth with 14 points from 13 games.
Sabah’s Spanish midfielder Miguel Cifuentes said his team showed resilience in difficult conditions.
“It was wet and difficult to play because continuous rain made the pitch heavy, but we managed to adapt,” said the 35-year-old Spaniard, fondly known as Cifu.
“We must continue performing like this and never give up, whether we are fighting for one point or three. Our aim is to climb up the standings after a poor start to the season.”
