PENANG FC head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail attributed his team’s Super League defeat to player negligence during their match against Kuala Lumpur City FC.
He acknowledged his squad’s energetic performance but highlighted defensive lapses that resulted in two conceded goals.
Wan Rohaimi specifically pointed to the second goal from a set-piece situation as preventable with better focus and quicker reactions.
“Perhaps there was a collision when the goalkeeper made the clearance, but the referee did not consider it a foul and my players stopped as if waiting for the whistle, when they should have continued playing.
“As a result, the opponent managed to unleash a long-range shot from about 30 metres without any challenge. Goals like this could actually have been avoided if the players were more focused,” he said at the post-match press conference at the City Stadium.
Despite back-to-back home losses, Wan Rohaimi expressed satisfaction with his players’ fighting spirit and confidence in their recovery against Kelantan The Real Warriors FC.
He particularly praised young defender Mohammad Khairul Akmal Rukisham’s solid performance before his injury-related substitution.
KL City FC head coach Risto Vidakovic described the victory as crucial for restoring player confidence after their recent FA Cup defeat.
He noted his team’s ongoing development process due to a late pre-season start and many new signings showing positive progress.
“We also dropped two points against Sabah after conceding in the final minutes, but this is something we need to look at again because we will face PDRM FC in two days. I hope all the players will recover before that match,” he said.
Penang FC continues seeking their first win after losing 2-1 with captain Stefano Brundo scoring their only goal in the 48th minute.
KL City’s goals came from Muhammad Safawi Rasid in the 34th minute and Mohamad Kamal Azizi in the 77th minute. – Bernama
