KUALA NERUS: The Turtle squad’s goal of reaching the Malaysia Cup final was dealt a severe blow in their crushing 0-4 loss to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the first-leg semifinal at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium last night.
Head coach Badrul Afzan Razali admitted that the devastating defeat, witnessed by over 11,000 home fans, has dimmed Terengganu FC’s (TFC) aspirations of achieving last season’s feat of competing in the finals of the nation’s most prestigious competition.
The 48-year-old coach acknowledged the uphill battle awaiting the team in the return leg at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) on Feb 1.
“Our chances of making the final are slim after a 4-0 loss at home. It’s incredibly tough for any team to stage a comeback and score at SSI,” he said.
“For now, our focus is on the Shopee Cup match on Jan 22. We won’t dwell on the second leg against JDT yet. I hope the players can recover quickly and psyche themselves up, as the next match is just around the corner,” said Badrul during the post-match press conference.
Despite the defeat, Badrul Afzan commended his players for their spirited performance, managing to match JDT for the first 70 minutes before losing focus in the final stages due to fatigue.
The head coach praised his players’ great determination, fighting relentlessly to secure a victory as a gift for their fans.
“I’m satisfied with the effort they displayed. They played with heart, but lapses in concentration during the last 20 minutes saw us punished with three late goals. We had chances to score in both halves but failed to capitalise,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Southern Tigers’ head coach Hector Bidoglio acknowledged the strong challenge posed by TFC before JDT secured a commanding 4-0 advantage.
“TFC played very well. It was a tough game. Yes, we have a big chance to reach the final, but we still need to fight in the second leg,” he stated, adding that he expects an even stronger performance from them in the return match at SSI.
