Terengganu FC secured a Malaysia Cup quarter-final spot with a 5-0 victory over UM-Damansara United, powered by a hat-trick from Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir.
TERENGGANU FC (TFC) cruised into the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals with a commanding 5-0 victory over UM-Damansara United.
The second-leg round-of-16 win was secured at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium last night.
Interim head coach Tengku Hazman Raja Hassan expressed relief and praised his team’s winning momentum.
He described the emphatic result as a personal reward and a timely morale boost.
“It has been a long time since we won by such a big margin,” said Tengku Hazman.
“I see this victory as a reward for me as interim coach and a confidence booster for the players ahead of the match against Selangor FC on Feb 1.”
The coach also commended his players for their attacking intent and discipline throughout the match.
“Overall, I am very satisfied,” he told reporters.
“The players were more eager to score and did not give the opponents any chances.”
Former national striker Engku Muhammad Nur Shakir Engku Yacob starred with a hat-trick.
Import player Careca contributed the remaining two goals for the Super League side.
UM-Damansara United head coach Ridzuan Abu Shah partly attributed the defeat to a quality gap in foreign players.
He noted the clear difference between Super League imports and those in semi-professional teams.
Despite the loss and elimination, Ridzuan was encouraged by his team’s effort and fighting spirit.
“Tonight helped me identify the strengths and weaknesses of my players,” he said.
“The most obvious difference was the quality of imported players.”
“The gap is clear, but we tried our best with the resources available.”
