Sabah unfazed by JDT injury woes 

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 13): Sabah FC will not be distracted by Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) injury and suspension issues ahead of the FA Cup final at Bukit Jalil National Stadium today.

Head coach Jean-Paul de Marigny said his focus remains firmly on his own squad as the Rhinos chase a historic breakthrough to end their 30-year wait since their last FA Cup triumph in 1995.

“I’m a coach who just really focuses on my team. This is what I’m in control of and I’m not in control of the opponent.

“My main objective is getting the players to execute the game plan with the right mentality and being brave,” he said during the pre-match press conference here on Saturday.

He said the Rhinos are looking to embrace the occasion rather than get caught up in the pressure.

“The reason that we’re here (FA Cup Final) is that we’ve earned it, we deserve it. It’s a privilege to be here.

“So the main thing is we need to embrace the moment and enjoy the occasion,” he said.

JDT are currently without suspended trio Hector Hevel, Joao Figueiredo and Jon Irazabal, while their injury list includes Arif Aiman Mohd Hanapi, Bergson da Silva, Romel Morales and Juan Muniz.

JDT head coach Xisco Munoz is not overly perturbed by the injury woes.

He believes the Southern Tigers squad depth and clear identity will be enough to defend their FA Cup title.
“We lost almost 50 per cent of our important players, yet we kept going and won every single game. If this happened at another club, maybe it would be chaos.

“As I always say, we have a good squad. So it’s important for tomorrow’s match that whoever is selected gives their best and follows our style of play,” he said at the pre-match press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium here on Saturday.

Munoz admitted that Sabah’s current form cannot be underestimated, particularly after their impressive semi-final victory over Selangor.

“We know what they are doing tactically — how they move, their capabilities and how they eliminated Selangor.

“We need to give our best performance and, most importantly, we need to start the game the way JDT usually do,” he said.

JDT captain Natxo Insa, meanwhile, remained positive despite the setback and believes the available players can step up and make their mark.

“This is football and sometimes bad things (happen) to one player while good things (happen) for another.

“We have a big squad and we are performing. So we need to take it like a challenge and show that, regardless of who plays, the team can still deliver at the highest level,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sabah skipper, Dominic Tan said although the squad is enjoying the moment, the team remain hungry to finish the job with flying colours.

“It’s been a long journey for us to get into the final after 27 years. We’re very proud of this moment, but as professionals, we’re never satisfied, so we’ll do our best in the final,” he said.-Bernama