KUCHING: The Sarawak President Cup squad can take their game up a notch or two if they play with more confidence.
Head coach Shamsurin Abdul Rahman said the players were still green and needed more match experience to steel their nerves.
“A series of friendlies outside the state will help to build up their confidence and consistency,” he said.
Shamsurin pointed out that friendly matches against Sabah or peninsular-based teams were different from the local leagues or divisional competitions the squad had played earlier on.
“These friendly encounters are, in fact, the best for exposing the players to a high level competition. Players are going through the same phase. With adequate exposure, the team should be able to handle the pressure.”
He was commenting on the encouraging performances by the President Cuppers in series of friendly matches.
They were narrowly beaten 1-0 by the second tier national squad of Bukit Jalil Sports School (SSBJ ‘A’) on Monday.
“The team put up an encouraging show. The SSBJ side found it hard to handle our young players but it was experience that counted in the end,” Shamsurin noted.
He admitted the first 10 minutes after the breather were a letdown as the players committed numerous errors in midfield but he praised them for quickly regaining their composure and battling on till the final whistle.
Shamsurin believed the Cuppers would bounce back from the defeat and give SSBJ a torrid time when they meet the latter’s ‘B’ side in their second game at Bukit Jalil today.
The squad will play against Melaka President Cup team in Melaka on Saturday.