PETALING JAYA: Selangor head coach Kim Pan-gon has his eye on several key Kuching players who could prove dangerous when the two sides clash in the Malaysia Cup semi-final first leg match at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Sunday (April 5).
The South Korean coach’s memory of his last encounter with the Cats is still fresh after their meeting in the Super League in February saw the Red Giants win 1-0 at home, and Pan-gon notes the struggle they went through to get the win.
Having the home advantage to set the tone in the semi-final, Pan-gon is confident that his players can hold their ground against Kuching’s attacks, but noted several players who could pose a threat.
One of the players highlighted was winger Ramadhan Saifullah, who has scored seven goals in all competitions so far this season.
"There are quite a few Kuching players who need attention, including Ramadhan, as well as a few midfielders who have shown improvements," said Pan-gon.
Kuching’s Petrus Shitembi could also be on Pan-gon’s radar, as the Namibian midfielder has been in form lately.
However, Pan-gon remains confident that his players will capitalise on home advantage to deliver a strong performance in the semi-finals opening leg.
"Kuching is one of the strong teams and we have to respect them. Individually, the players are good.
"But I’m confident that our players have what it takes to hold them off. Our players are better," he said.
The head coach will need to get his team back up to speed after eight of his players were involved in the Asian Cup qualifiers clash against Vietnam on Tuesday.
"It was tough because for that period, we didn’t have those players to train together.
"We don’t have much time to train but we have to ensure we are mentally prepared," he said.
The second leg will take place at the Sarawak Stadium in Kuching on April 18.
