ALOR SETAR: Kedah Darul Aman (KDA) FC head coach Mohd Nafuzi Zain expressed relief after his team successfully navigated a tough match against Penang FC last night to advance to the FA Cup semi-finals.
He said that their single goal from the first leg quarter-final match made the second leg last night particularly nerve-wracking, especially playing in front of over 16,000 loyal home fans.
According to him, tactical changes, fighting spirit, confidence and the commitment of all players ultimately allowed KDA FC to prevent the Panthers from scoring any goals in the match.
“Alhamdulillah, thanks to the players. I feel it was a very tough game even though we were playing at home. I know having just one goal was a rather tense situation for us to defend.
“So we implemented an attacking strategy while at the same time defending the one goal we had. It was a different and challenging situation, but thanks to the players who played very well until the end,” he told reporters after the second leg of their FA Cup quarter-final match against Penang FC, which ended in a 0-0 draw at Darul Aman Stadium here.
They will meet Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Penang FC head coach Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli admitted his disappointment with last night’s result, noting that the failure of the attacking department to score goals is an issue that needs attention.
“We have already had discussions with the management to bring in an Asian quota of import players for the attacking department as well as a local player in the same position… and I hope their inclusion will significantly improve the team’s play and bring us better luck in upcoming matches.” – Bernama
