KUALA NERUS: Terengganu FC (TFC) head coach Nafuzi Zain (pix) has called on his players to forget their FA Cup final defeat by Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) and to focus on their Super League clash against basement side Penang tomorrow.
TFC, who lost 3-1 to JDT in the FA Cup final on Saturday (Sept 10), will be at home at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium against Penang.
Nafuzi said the Turtles must collect all three points against Penang if they are to finish among the top three in the league and, thus, qualify for the AFC Cup next year.
“The most important thing right now is to motivate the players again after the loss to JDT in the FA Cup final.
“We have dropped too many points by losing to teams that we shouldn’t have in the league. This time we must grab all the points we can, especially when we are playing on our home ground,” he told reporters here today.
TFC are currently fourth in the 12-team standings with 29 points from 17 matches, with JDT leading the pack (16 games, 42 points); followed by Sabah (18 games, 36 pts); and Negeri Sembilan (18 games, 35 pts).
Meanwhile, Nafuzi said he would also need to ensure that his players are free from injuries after the high-intensity final against JDT.
However, he does not plan to make too many changes to the team despite facing a Penang side who have won just one of their 17 matches so far.
“In terms of player rotation, I am not thinking of doing that… probably retain or just make minor changes,” he said.
Nafuzi also congratulated his three players who have been called up to join the Harimau Malaya centralised training camp for the Thailand King’s Cup Tournament to be held in Chiang Mai from Sept 22-25.
The three players are goalkeeper Rahadiazli Rahalim; defender Azam Azmi Murad and nippy winger Faisal Halim.
“This exposure is good for youngsters like Rahadiazli and Azam, especially the experience of playing with senior players,” he said.-Bernama
