Kota Kinabalu: Datuk Ong Kim Swee hopes Sabah FC will kick start their first AFC Cup competition away match with a win against PSM Makassar FC in Bali tonight (Thursday).
They had won their opening Group H tie home tie 3-1 over Hougang United FC at Likas Stadium last month.
The Rhinos head coach admitted at the pre-match press conference held in Bali on Tuesday that it is a tough task to get a good result against the home side.
“Like I said earlier it will not be easy against Makassar even though they are not doing well in the league and having losing the first round tie in the AFC Cup to Hai Phong FC in Vietnam.
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“One positive aspect is that we came here quite early and it definitely helps in terms of our preparation, and we also have the best players available for the match,” he said.
Ong also played down the team’s poor away form in the Super League that may affect their performance tonight.
“Of course our away record in the league is not that good this season but in this AFC Cup competition, it is a different kind of tournament.
“We only have four teams in the group and have six games to play so we must know how to get the result.
“First of all, we must ensure that we don’t lose points when we are playing away and I believe with the preparation that we have, we should be able to cope with any pressure to kick start our first away game in the AFC Cup with a positive result.”
Sabah FC are currently in second place in the group behind Hai Phong FC and the two sides will meet in Vietnam on October 25.
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