KUALA NERUS, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Terengganu FC (TFC) head coach Badrul Afzan Razali admitted that fatigue was a factor behind his team's slow performance during the Group A match against Indonesia's PSM Makassar FC in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC), also known as the Shopee Cup, at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium (SSMZA) here last night.
However, the 48-year-old coach expressed relief as his team managed to secure a 1-0 win over Fernando Tavares’ squad through a penalty goal, brightening the Turtles' chances of advancing to the tournament’s semi-finals.
He noted that his players were exhausted after an intense first-leg semi-final match against Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) last Friday.
"I admit my players' game tempo was quite slow tonight (last night), especially in the first half.
"I also admit the situation was nerve-wracking because we needed to secure all three points to progress to the semi-finals. Nonetheless, I want to congratulate my players for giving their all throughout the 90 minutes," he told the post-match press conference.
The crucial victory propelled the Turtles to second place in Group A with seven points from four matches.
Meanwhile,Tavares expressed satisfaction with the performance of his young players, who put up a strong fight against TFC.
However, he said the inability to handle pressure and poor decision-making cost his team the chance to secure any points away from home.
TFC and PSM Makassar FC now share seven points, but the Turtles have a superior goal difference of four.
Group A's top spot, however, is now held by Thailand's BG Pathum United.
-- BERNAMA
