Head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee during the Rhinos’ recent training session in Likas in preparation for the Malaysia Cup Group D opener against PJ City FC at MBPJ Stadium on September 27. – Photo from Sabah FC Facebook.
KOTA KINABALU (Sept 26): Sabah FC will open their Malaysia Cup campaign against PJ City FC at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium on Monday night.
And the Rhinos will hope for ‘miracle’ from newly appointed head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee to lead them to a positive start in Group D of the country’s most prestigious football tournament.
Ong who was brought in to replace Indonesian trainer Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto was supposedly to take over officially on October 1 but he has been granted an early release from the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to coach the Rhinos in the M-Cup.
Hopes are high for the vastly experienced and proven former national senior and junior head coach to rejuvenate a squad that finished ninth following a poor Super League season that saw them failed to win a single game in the second round of the campaign.
Ong, a former Sabah’s midfielder in the 90s, however is being realistic when asked of the squad’s preparation for the M-Cup.
With only a limited time with his players since his appointment, Ong recently expressed hope that the players will show high fighting spirit in the M-Cup.
“We will take one game at a time and hope that the team can show fighting spirit,” he said.
In fact, Ong said if the squad would be able to claim favourable outcome in the first two games, the chances of making it to the knock-out stages would be much open for them.
After the PJ City FC match, Sabah FC will take on Premier League fourth ranked team Kelantan FC away on September 30 before the competition takes a one-month break.
The other team in Group D are 2021 Super League winners Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), who are also the M-Cup defending champions.
Meanwhile, Ong has named a 23-man squad for Sabah FC’s first two M-Cup fixtures.
Most of the key players were included after missing the last Super League game, including livewire Indonesian winger Saddil Ramdani who missed Sabah FC’s last two league fixtures.
Saddil will be joined by fellow foreign imports captain Ristro Mitrevski, Park Tae Su and Levy Madinda but striker Josip Ivancic will not be among the travelling squad due to shoulder injury.
The rest of the Sabah squad to face PJ City FC and Kelantan FC are Robson Rendy Rining, Rozaimie Rohim, Mohamad Ramzi Mustakim, Mafry Balang, Abd Hanafie Tokyo Abd Hashim, N. Thanabalan, Mohd Amri Yahya, Mohd Naaim Firdaus Stibin, Ummareng Bacok, Harith Nem Jaineh, Mohd Azzizan Nordin, Alto Linus, Rawilson Batuil, Bobby Gonzales, Maxsius Musa, Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, Ricco Nigel Milus and Nuriezkhan Isa Japar.