Batu kawan: Immigration FC (IFC) head coach Yusri Che Lah has warned his team that they have only won half the battle after their 2-1 victory over Terengganu FC (TFC) in the round of 16 first-leg match at Batu Kawan State Stadium here today. He is well aware that their one-goal advantage could easily be wiped out when they travel to Gong Badak for the return leg on Sept 13.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Yusri expressed concern over the upcoming match in Gong Badak, where he anticipates TFC will adopt an aggressive strategy. “Terengganu will definitely play an attacking game, and we need to get through another punishing 90 minutes (in Gong Badak). So, we must weather the storm there and make sure we are at our best, especially as we will welcome two more imported players this week,” he said at the post-match press conference.
IFC is expecting the arrival of two Brazilian players, midfielder Pedro Santos and defender Vinicius Milani, to strengthen their squad for the season. Before the decisive second leg
against TFC, the Mighty Tigers face another challenge as they prepare to take on Malaysian powerhouse Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the third match of the Super League on Aug 27.
Meanwhile, TFC coach Badrul Afzan Razali attributed today’s defeat to the players’ negligence in the second half. However, he remains optimistic about the second leg, stating, “Anyway, we still have another 90 minutes to play in Gong Badak.”
The match at Batu Kawan State Stadium initially saw a goalless first half, but momentum shifted when Yann Mabella scored for TFC in the 50th minute. IFC quickly responded with an equalizer from Rafael Iserhard Holstein four minutes later. The decisive moment came when import player Joao Pedro secured IFC’s winning goal in the final minute, in a match that also witnessed three disallowed goals.
In another FA Cup round of 16, first-leg match at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Krubong, Dylan Christopher Charles Wenzel Halls led Penang FC to a 2-0 victory over Melaka FC. Dylan scored in the 48th and 81st
minutes and narrowly missed a hat-trick when the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) spotted an earlier foul just before halftime.