PETALING JAYA: Armed Forces head coach B. Sathianathan has lashed out at his men for a lacklustre performance in their final Group B Malaysia Cup match against Kedah, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Selayang Stadium on Friday.
“My men were brilliant in the first-half but an indifferent attitude after the break saw Kedah bounce back with two goals. My players became cocky and lazy. They dropped a gear in the second-half and failed to push on … playing more like a third-tier FAM Cup side,” said a disappointed Sathianathan yesterday.
As a result, the Premier League champions could only finish behind Kelantan in Group B, although both sides have 11 points.
The Red Warriors went on a rampage at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru to thrash out of contention Terengganu 6-1. The big win enabled Kelantan to pip the soldiers on better goal difference.
Sathianathan’s men will now face Group C winners and defending champions Negri Sembilan while Kelantan face Felda United, the runners-up of Group C, in the quarter-finals.
“If we play like this, I won’t be surprised if we get thrashed by Negri,” said Sathianathan.
“Yes, we have a tough match in the quarter-finals. It’s a wake-up call for the players and I have given them a three-day break to recharge their batteries.”
The Armed Forces will host the first-leg of the quarter-finals at the Selayang Stadium on Sept 28. The return leg will be at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi on Oct 5.
Source: football.thestar.com.my
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