Good catch: Terengganu goalkeeper Rahadiazli Rahalim making a save from Mohd Fikri Shah (right) during their Malaysia Cup match. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Melaka fielded several African footballers to boost their chances against Terengganu in the first leg of the Malaysia Cup round of 16 but it backfired.
Limp performances from their recent foreign buys saw the A1 Semi-Pro League side losing 1-4 to Super League giants Terengganu at the Hang Jebat Stadium on Saturday.
Just for the cup competition, the club signed Congolese centreback Rodrigue Nanitelamio and Guinean striker Oumar Bangoura.
Besides Nanitelamio and Bangoura, Melaka’s other two foreign players are Ghanaian striker Fusseini Issah and Nigerian midfielder Michael Onyekachi Ozor.
Issah is one of the club’s top scorers with 11 goals in the A1 Semi-Pro League.
Coach K. Devan lamented that his African quartet could have done better in their debut Malaysia Cup campaign.
“All four of them are playing in the Malaysia Cup for the first time. Age-wise, Nanitelamio is the only one who is over 20, while the other three are below 20,” said Devan.
“Overall, I felt the four did not play to their true level. If they did, our game would have been better.”
National winger Akhyar starred for Terengganu with two goals in the 16th and 53rd minutes, while the Turtles’ first goal was scored by Safawi Rasid in the eighth minute.
Wingback Alif Zakaria scored the first goal of his career by striking a venomous volley in the 90th minute.
Melaka’s only goal was scored by Issah in the 56th minute.
“My boys tried and were committed in the first half, but we failed to score. In the second half, we did better and scored a goal. But we conceded two more. In those situations, we could have done better. Maybe the lack of experience got us,” said Devan.
The second leg will be held at the Sultan Mizan Stadium in Gong Badak on Nov 29 and Devan urged his charges to do better.
Meanwhile, Terengganu coach Badrul Afzan Razali was happy that his boys did not take Melaka’s challenge lightly.
“I reminded them not to take Melaka lightly, despite them being a division below us. They took heed of my advice and performed well. We played good football, and the scoreline was satisfying.
“But we have another 90 minutes against Melaka, this momentum must not stop.”
