Kota Kinabalu: Sabah State Football Association (Safa) women’s team returned to winning ways with a convincing 2-0 win over Red Eagles SC at the Stadium Mini MPKP, Jitra, Kedah on Saturday.
The result marked a significant turnaround for the team after being held to a goalless draw by Kelana United in their previous match on June 25, before the league took a break.
The match kicked off at 4.45pm, where the Safa girls seized the pitch right from the start. Despite their dominance, they were unable to find the target in the opening half.
The breakthrough finally came in the 65th minute when import player Mai-Lisa Atis scored the opener following a precise pass from fellow import Ayuri Terawaki.
Just six minutes later, Henrietta Justine extended the lead to put the result beyond doubt.
Head coach Bobby Gonzales, who guided the team to the title last year was content with the overall performance of his players.
“I’m grateful the team was able to bring home three valuable points from this trip. We controlled the game well, keeping the ball and the pressure on our opponents throughout the match.
“Despite squandering numerous first-half chances, the players were able to maintain their intensity after the interval to secure a well-deserved victory with two goals,” he said.
In his second season with the team, Bobby added that their focus is now on the Group A preliminary stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League starting on August 17.
Safa’s Secretary-General Shamsuddin Mohd Shah had on Wednesday announced that Likas Stadium will once again host the qualifying rounds of the Asia’s top professional football club competition for women, organised by Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The one-week tournament will feature Sabah FA, East Bengal FC (India), Rovers FC (Guam) and Rajshahi Stars FC (Bangladesh).
Sabah FA will begin their campaign against Rajshahi Stars FC on August 17, followed by Rovers FC on August 20, before their final group match against East Bengal FC on August 23.
