PETALING JAYA: Kelantan Red Warriors coach Irfan Bakti saluted his players for standing toe-to-toe with Brunei and holding them to a 1-1 draw before bowing out 1-3 on aggregate in the Malaysia Cup round of 16.
The spirited display also drew praises from Brunei coach Jamie McAllister.
“I’m disappointed with the result, but I’m very proud of my local boys,” said Irfan, whose side are playing in the A1 Semi-Pro League.
“We were down 2-0 on aggregate, but I told them not to give up and to keep fighting.”
Kelantan gave themselves hope when centreback Abdul Latiff Suhaimi rose to head in a corner in the eighth minute.
However, Brunei quickly restored order through rising star Hakeme Yazid Said, who equalised in the 11th minute to maintain their aggregate cushion.
Irfan pointed to aerial battles as a key factor over the two legs.
“We conceded goals from high balls, which we can overcome by playing the ball on the ground,” he said. “Brunei’s imports certainly helped them in the air. The irony is that we actually scored from a header.”
As for McAllister, he acknowledged Kelantan’s resolve and admitted his side were pushed hard, particularly after the break.
“Credit to Kelantan, they were the better team in the second half and they gave us a very good fight,” said McAllister.
“We were excellent in the first half, though we conceded a poor goal. We created plenty of chances and could have been three or four goals ahead.”
Brunei now face Kuching City in the two-leg quarter-finals, hosting the first at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium on Feb 8 before travelling to the State Stadium on Feb 15.
