PETALING JAYA: It looks like Sabah could end the Super League campaign in third if they beat Kedah in the final game of the season.
The Rhinos have closed the gap against the Canaries after beating Perak 1-0 at the Perak Stadium in Ipoh on Sunday.
South Korean utility player Park Tae-su was the hero when he scored the lone goal in the 85th minute.
The win sees fourth-placed Sabah closing the gap with Kedah by just two points.
Third-placed Kedah have 53 while Sabah have 51.
Sabah coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee said the win was important but admitted it wasn’t easy to get due to the poor pitch condition.
“The field was soggy, so it was hard to play our game. Our boys are tired too. We played three away games, which required lots of travelling,” he said.
“But the boys showed positivity, fought well and tried to get a goal and we got the goal that we wanted. I cannot fault their commitment and character.
“This win is important before we head into our next game against Kedah.”
Their last game of the league against Kedah will be held at the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 17. Before that, they will take on Indonesian club PSM Makassar at the same stadium on Dec 14.
But first, the players will be given time to recover and be with their loved ones.
“All the players have to return and recover fully. We left Kota Kinabalu for two weeks.
“This would make it tough for players who’ve left their families, including the national boys like Darren (Lok), Dominic (Tan) and Stuart (Wilkin), who were away for almost a month.
“Against Perak, they showed they could endure that process. It’s not easy but they did it. Kudos to the players.”
