Kota Kinabalu: It is going to be a big test for Sabah FC to play JDT FC tonight at the Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar Putri in Johor.
I hope the team are now well prepared to face the 11th time champion of the Malaysian League after the much-needed rest following the recent international break , which was further extended with the postponement of the return match against Bunga Raya FC on September 13.
Let’s see how well head coach Jean-Paul Marigny has prepared the team for the match.
Would Sabah FC be able to burst the bubble of JDT? No doubt it is a far- fetched dream, but the possibility is there.
The home side’s defence looked a bit shaky at the start of the season and had conceded three goals against Negeri Sembilan FC.
Since then, they have tightened their backline and only conceded three goals against Buriram United from Thailand and Lion City Sailors from Singapore in the AFC Championships league and Asean Club Championship respectively.
Sabah FC players need to play the game of their lives if they want to achieve the seemingly impossible task.
It may be hard, tough and all, but let’s build up the will and desire to seek the win or at last to salvage a draw from the match.
The fans know that it is the toughest match of the season and to be beaten by JDT is more or less a foregone conclusion and it is for all the other teams in the league as well.
Sabah FC’s performance since the start of the league season has not been impressive at all. We were unable to beat mediocre teams and the only victory was in the FA Cup round of 16 first leg tie against A1 Semi-pro team Bunga Raya FC.
There is no cause for alarm yet as we had only played three games and drew all three to put us in ninth position in the league table.
However, we really need to pick up our momentum now and here I again, I hope some of our senior players in the team have recovered from their respective injuries.
They also need to improve on their match fitness ahead of the tough schedule, which will pick up its pace soon after the JDT match.
We will be taking on a much-improved Negeri Sembilan FC followed by Kuching City FC in a Borneo derby.
Right now, all eyes will be on the JDT game and hopefully, the team will rise to the occasion and bring some cheers to the fans at home.
Let’s do the talking on the pitch and good luck to Sabah FC.
