PETALING JAYA: Selangor plan to turn their disappointment into determination and double their effort when they face Sabah in the second leg of their FA Cup round-of-16 clash.
Both teams shared the spoils in a pulsating 2-2 draw in the first leg at Likas Stadium on Wednesday.
The return leg will be played at the Petaling Jaya Stadium next Wednesday, with a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals at stake.
Selangor coach Kim Pan-gon could not hide his disappointment after seeing his side fail to hold on to a 2-1 lead.
“It was a very tough game for us away at Sabah.
“The conditions here, the pitch and the heat, were tough for our players. I’m disappointed,” he said.
“We’ve to analyse why we allowed them to score twice, understand what went wrong, correct it and prepare for the next game.
“This FA Cup means a lot to us. We have the passion and the desire.
“If we want to reach the final, we have to give double the effort next time.”
Pan-gon was also left to rue his side’s finish to the game as they were reduced to 10 men for the final 10 minutes after Singaporean centreback Safuwan Baharuddin was shown a second yellow card in the 80th minute for a foul on Sabah’s Argentine striker Gonzalo Di Renzo.
Sabah took the lead in the 33rd minute when New Zealand wingback Dane Ingham rose above Safuwan to head home a corner delivered by South Korean winger Park Jung-bin, beating goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz.
The lead lasted just two minutes before the Red Giants levelled through Dutch striker Kay Tejan, who headed home a superb freekick whipped in by wingback Adib Abd Raop.
Despite the drizzle, both sides continued to trade blows, and Selangor’s Brazilian forward Chrigor Moraes produced a moment of magic in the 50th minute, drilling an unstoppable left-footed effort from a tight angle inside the box.
Sabah hit back late when midfielder Abdul Halim Saari rifled home a low first-time volley to ensure the hosts did not leave empty-handed.
Sabah coach Juan Torres Garrido, however, was satisfied with his side’s performance.
“We created enough chances in open play.
“With a bit more luck or accuracy, we could have finished with an advantage,” said Garrido, who promised to give their opponents another tough game.
