Malaysia Cup: Two Kelantan Teams In Pursuit Of Quarterfinal Spots Not Ready To Wave White Flag

KOTA BHARU, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- The two teams from Kelantan competing in this season's Malaysia Cup have yet to wave the white flag, despite both suffering defeats in the first leg of the round of 16 last week.

Kelantan The Real Warriors FC (TRW FC) are set to face Selangor FC in the return leg at the Petaling Jaya Stadium tomorrow night, while Kelantan Red Warriors FC (KRW FC) are scheduled to meet Brunei DPMM at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium this Saturday.

TRW FC Assistant Head Coach, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, admitted his team faces an uphill mission after losing 1-2 to Selangor FC in the first leg in Kota Bharu last Monday. He noted that the away goal gives Selangor FC the upper hand, placing TRW FC in a "must-win" situation for the second leg.

“The current scoreline favours Selangor FC; we cannot afford a draw or another loss. We need to win by a clear margin to ensure qualification for the quarterfinals,” he told Bernama recently.

Akmal Rizal remarked that while scoring three goals without reply away from home is no easy feat, his team will not surrender early. He emphasised that TRW FC will execute their game plan using their existing quality and by maximising the players' capabilities.

He added that during the first match at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium, his team displayed a strong performance against a Selangor FC side bolstered by high-quality local and import players but while acknowledging that TRW FC is currently hampered by player injuries, he assured that they will field their best lineup to avoid a second defeat.

Meanwhile, KRW FC Head Coach, Irfan Bakti Abu Salim, stated that his team still has one match left to overturn the result against Brunei DPMM and stressed that the 0-2 home defeat last Saturday was not the end of the road, even though the advantage lies with the opposition.

“We need to score three goals to progress, and the players are fully aware of the massive challenge that awaits them,” he said.

--BERNAMA