Penang: Penang FC head coach Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail admitted that the players’ negligence was the reason his squad lost to Kuala Lumpur (KL) City FC in their Super League match last night.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, although the players had displayed an energetic performance throughout the match, lapses in defense caused his team to be punished with two easy goals.
He mentioned that the second goal, which came from a set-piece situation, should have been prevented if the players had been more focused and quicker in closing down the opponent. Wan Rohaimi noted a particular incident where there was a collision when the goalkeeper made the clearance, but the referee did not consider it a foul. His players stopped as if waiting for the whistle, which allowed the opponent to unleash a long-range shot from about 30 meters without any challenge. He emphasized that such goals could have been avoided with better focus.
Despite being disappointed with two consecutive home defeats, Wan Rohaimi remained satisfied with the fighting spirit shown by his players throughout the match. He expressed confidence that the Panthers could bounce back when facing Kelantan The Real Warriors (TRW) FC on August 30. Additionally, Wan Rohaimi praised the solid performance of young defender Mohammad Khairul Akmal Rukisham, who was stretchered off following an injury due to a clash with an opposing player.
Meanwhile, KL City FC head coach Risto Vidakovic described last night’s victory as important for restoring the players’ confidence after their recent defeat to Kelantan TRW in the first round of the FA Cup. He stated that his team is still in the process of building since the pre-season started late and many new players were brought in. However, they have shown positive development. Vidakovic also highlighted a recent match against Sabah, where they dropped two points after conceding in the final minutes. He plans to address this issue before facing PDRM FC in two days.
The match saw Penang FC continue to struggle, losing 1-2. The home side’s only goal was scored by team captain Stefano Brundo in the 48th minute, while KL City’s goals were contributed by Muhammad Safawi Rasid and Mohamad Kamal Azizi in the 34th and 77th minutes, respectively.