KUALA NERUS: The Terengganu FC (TFC) squad must maintain a solid defence to avoid conceding goals in the decisive second-leg showdown against Negeri Sembilan FC (NSFC) at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, Kuala Nerus, tomorrow.
Its head coach Badrul Afzan Razali has urged the players to protect the two-goal lead they secured in the first quarter-final match at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium, Paroi, Negeri Sembilan, on Dec 14.
Badrul Afzan emphasised the importance of players being prepared for potential bad weather conditions, as the Northeast Monsoon season continues.
“I hope Abe (Muhammad Rahadiazli Rahalim) can stay focused and perform well. We don’t want to concede, despite our two-goal lead,” he said.
“The wet pitch is a concern, and I hope the players are ready for any situation. In Melaka, we played in the rain and couldn’t score in the end,” he added, during a training session at the Gong Badak Sports Complex, yesterday.
In addition, Badrul Afzan, a former Terengganu midfielder, urged the players to sharpen their finishing in order to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
He stressed that sharp finishing will give the team an edge when facing the ‘Jang’ squad, which boasts a strong lineup and high fighting spirit.
“I want both strikers, Bonilla (Nelson Bonilla) and Akinade (Ismaheel Akinade), to be more decisive in front of goal. We frequently create chances, but too few are converted into goals,“ he said.
For tomorrow’s match, Badrul Afzan confirmed that there would be no changes to the starting lineup, as no players are injured, except for Suhaimi (Suhaimi Husin), who is recovering from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.
