Miri told to play their best in S’wak Cup

New Sarawak Tribune - Sunday, 17 October 2010 00:00 Nur Aishah binti Zainal

MIRI: Miri football team were urged to play their best in the Sarawak Cup 2010 football tournament which will be held in Kuching starting today until Oct 24.

“Do not take this matter lightly, instead take the game seriously,” said vice president of Sarawak Football Association cum Miri team manager, Sazali Abdul Rahman.

He reminded the players not to waste their efforts of training for two months and hoped the team would go far in the tournament.

Meanwhile, according to manager of Fatimah Bersatu Sdn Bhd, Mahdi Abdul Rahman, the team must improve their development and performance.

“I hope this effort would bring good results and allow another company to develop this sport,” he said when handing over the sponsorship to the Miri football team for the tournament at Park City Everly Hotel, here, yesterday.

Led by their captain, Mohd Fadly Kassim, the players who on average are 18-years have- been given high expectations to win the tournament.

 

Expectations run high for Crocs

by Simon Ingka Crown 

TheBorneoPost

S’wak sweat on Fadly, Shahrol fitness ahead of MP Muar clash

KUCHING: Sarawak skipper Mohd Fadly Kassim and winger Mohd Shahrol Saperi are still doubtful for the away Premier League match against clubside Johor MP Muar today.

Coach Mohd Zaki Sheikh Ahmad said both players may not regain their fitness in time to make the final eleven after picking up injuries in the recent FA Cup ties against Penang. 

Shahrol received a knock in the first leg at Batu Kawan, Penang, while Fadly was forced to retire with shoulder pain in the second leg at home.

“They will be travelling with the team to Johor but I’m still undecided whether or not to field them. 

Both are continuing their training and I hope to have good news regarding their fitness before the game,” the coach said yesterday. 

Self-Belief The Key To S’wak Success: Zaki

By Martin Yee, easterntimes

KUCHING: Self belief. That’s the key word that coach Zaki Sheikh Ahmad will be drumming into the Sarawak players when they meet ATM in a home match where they desperately need a morale boosting win to salvage their morale.

Zaki used the last match against Harimau Muda where Sarawak lost 0-1 as the benchmark for their behaviour and performance.

In the match, Sarawak started well attacking in the opening minutes and even hit the post and dominated the game but when Harimau scored the only goal through a counter attack, the team just crumbled.

“They must have self-belief and they need to get the goals early which will relief the pressure on them.
“When the team conceded a goal, they just lost their composure and their game go to pieces.

“They should also change their attitude and one thing I want them to do is to start talking and stop shouting to one another.

“Yesterday (Wednesday) in the training, I told the strikers to buck up and don’t blame the others if they failed to score.

“They must score to release the pressure on them,” said Zaki.

The Sarawak players in fact can win matches as they got the chances to score against a top side like Harimau Muda in the last match.

Against ATM tonight, Zaki is confident they can pull off their first win to get the pressure off the backs of the players as he said they had to win it for the fans.

He said ATM are big spenders - having started training early in October - the same as other teams like FELDA FC and had won once, drew twice and lost once and lying in sixth position with four points.

“We have to win this one. There is no two ways about it and we have to win it for the fans,” said Zaki on tonight’s match against the Army boys whom Sarawak had beaten once, drew once with and lost one to last season.

Sarawak beat them 6-1 at home in the FA Cup but drew with them away while in a league match towards the end of the season, a dispirited Sarawak side suffered a shock defeat to.

The Sarawak side opened the season with a goaless draw at home against PDRM, lost 4-1 to FELDA FC away, then drew 1-1 against PKNS in a match they were supposed to win.

In their last match against Harimau Muda, they came away with a narrow 1-0 defeat.

Zaki said he will emphasise on the mental aspect of the players which had been in a main letdown.

He added that against FELDA, the players were strangely off-coloured as they played a jittery first-half, perhaps overawed by the number of national and former national players in their opponents.

Even in the last match against Harimau Muda, Zaki noted that most of the players did not have the right match temperament and need to be instilled the discipline of the game.

With Fadley Kassim the only casualty as he will miss the match due to red card suspension he received in the last three minutes of the match against Harimau Muda, Zaki will have other options in Hairol Moktar, Aris Ismail or Morris Jagan as the replacement to team up with Wong Sai Kong.

Upfront he will go for Zamri Morshidi-Effendi Malek combination which is more effective with striker Azralan Azmi on the bench while Shahrol Saperi and brother Azizan who have recovered from injury will be on both flanks while in central midfield, Abang Zafari Othman will likely partner Rafiz Ismail.

In defence, Firdaus Morshidi may have to give way to Dzulazlan Ibrahim on the left back role while Mazwandi Zekeria will man the right flank.

Zaki Laments Players ‘Bad Habits’

By Martin Yee, Easterntimes

KUCHING: Coach Zaki Sheikh Ahmad is not happy with the Sarawak players repeating their “bad habits” which cost them to pay heavily as they had yet to win after four matches including the last away match to Harimau Muda where they lost 0-1.

The main problem with the team is that they lost patience and discipline by making mistakes which cost them and the team dearly.

The red card awarded to centreback Fadley Kassim with only five minutes remaining in the game was a case in point as the team will lose the key defender for the next two matches due to automatic suspension.

“The players are not patient. They easily lose their concentration and focus even if there are a few minutes left in the game and they should be more patient to hold on to the game.

“Though their weaknesses is failure to convert the chances, they have to keep on trying and play hard. The goals will come if they keep on doing their best,” said Zaki.