Losing balance: JDT’s Romel Morales is tackled by KL Rovers’ Mohd Amirul Ashraf Ariffin in the Malaysia Cup round of 16, first-leg match. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur Rovers face a monumental challenge of trying to overpower Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the Malaysia Cup today, but head coach Wan Mustaffa Wan Ismail wants his players to leave it all out on the pitch.
It won’t be easy to come back from a 0-3 aggregate at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, but Wan Mustaffa urges his players not to call it quits before the final whistle of the round of 16, second-leg fixture.
“We know we are facing the strongest team in the country, even among the best in the Asian region.
“Their 3-0 advantage won’t be easy to beat, I told my players to not give up before giving a fight to our opponents as we will be playing them at their home ground.
“I want the players to play and fight with dignity and give our opponents a battle. Even if we lose, let it be while fighting,” he said.
KL Rovers lost their first-leg fixture against JDT in Johor last Wednesday, with the Southern Tigers taking the win with the second team fielded by head coach Hector Bidoglio.
Although 10-time Super League champions JDT are coming into the fixture after a 0-1 defeat to Chinese side Shandong Taishan in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday, Wan Mustaffa knows a giant team like JDT can bounce back in an instant.
“Some may say our chances are better now because they lost their recent match. But we have to be realistic because JDT are on another level.
“We have to try our best and not let them score early on in the game,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bidoglio’s words to his players were to keep their focus on each match in their hectic schedule.
Having the 3-0 lead would ease some pressure off the players, but the head coach wants the team to continue winning.
“The result from the first leg is good for us but we still have to elevate our game with more intensity and dynamics,” he said.
