PETALING JAYA: Penang were left to rue a string of missed chances as their poor finishing proved costly in a 1-1 draw against Sabah in the first leg of the Challenge Cup final at City Stadium on Saturday.
Despite creating enough opportunities to put the tie beyond doubt, Penang managed just a single goal and paid the price when Sabah struck a late equaliser to keep the contest wide open.
Penang coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail admitted his side’s wastefulness in front of goal was the turning point.
“I am satisfied with the energy and effort shown, but poor finishing remains a persistent issue that prevented us from securing a bigger lead,” he said.
“I also felt our defensive organisation was solid for most of the match, but a last-minute mistake allowed Sabah to equalise.”
With the tie now level, Wan Rohaimi knows his side face a tough task in the return leg at Likas Stadium on April 18, although he remains optimistic.
“There are still 90 minutes to play. We know it will be tough in Likas with their home crowd, but we are optimistic, especially with the expected return of players like Adib Abd Ra’op and Mohd Syahmie Iszuan,” he added.
The hosts looked on course to carry a narrow advantage into the return leg after taking the lead in the 70th minute, when their forward latched onto a long ball from Faith Obilor before firing home a powerful half-volley.
However, their inability to extend the lead came back to haunt them in stoppage time. Goalkeeper Ramadhan Abd Hamid, who had been solid throughout, conceded a penalty after bringing down Gabriel Peres in the box, and the Brazilian calmly converted to snatch a draw for Sabah.
Meanwhile, Sabah coach Juan Torres Garrido acknowledged the challenges faced by his squad but was pleased with their fighting spirit.
“We travelled with only 13 available outfield players due to various reasons.
“We came with the aim to win but these things happened, so it did impact us a little,” he revealed.
With the team’s main scorer Ajden Mujagic, who is now a Johor Darul Ta’zim player, no longer available, Garrido stressed the need for a collective effort in attack.
“We must now share the responsibility for scoring goals across the team,” he said.
With two weeks before the return leg, he hopes several injured players, including Spanish midfielder Miguel Cifuentes will recover in time to strengthen the squad.
