Sarawak coaches are keeping under their hat a gameplan they are hatching to put defending champions Kelantan on a short leash in the upcoming Malaysia Cup.
Whatever ace they may have up their sleeves to foil the defending champions’ bid for bragging rights a second consecutive time, they are playing it close to their chest, at least for now.
It is understood the coaches – Robert Alberts, and his two assistants Farhan Abdullah and Mohd Azley Abdullah – are planning to write a new script for this season’s Malaysia Cup which kicks off next month.
The coaches are not giving away any specifics but pundits have detected hints that an upset by the Crocs at the expense of Kelantan is something they are planning to pull out of the hat.
“All in good time. The plan will be implemented within a month,” Alberts said after a discussion with his assistants at the Football Association of Sarawak (FAS) management office here yesterday.
“It’s still too early to give details – we have two new players and need to integrate them into the team first. We are going for long-term training,” he added.
The Crocs’ new signings are Chung Keng Hong and Jaganathan Arputharajoo from ATM.
Told that Kelantan had confirmed getting Pahang’s striker Azzamuddin Mohd Akil, 26, on loan to beef up their squad, Alberts said he was not overly worried by it although he is a bit confused by the move since Pahang had said they were not loaning players to teams which had qualified for the Malaysia Cup.
Sarawak had earlier approached Pahang for “loaned players” but the deal fell through for the aforesaid reason. But Pahang have apparently made an about-turn when they released Azzamuddin (on loan) to Kelantan.
In the Malaysia Cup, teams that failed to qualify are allowed to loan their players to teams that have qualified.
Pahang did not qualify for the competition this year.
“It’s not important now. What’s important is we do our own work and prepare our players well for the task ahead. That’s where our gameplan comes in. And well let you at the right time,” Alberts said.
He added that his boys were “very fit” and they had been given a timetable for training on their own as they adjust to fasting month.
“The module is for them to adapt to the month-long fasting and yesterday, all of them appeared very fit and eager to train.”
According to Alberts, Sarawak’s training programme is tailored according to the needs of players who are fasting, and he is not unduly worried because situation should be the same for the other teams.
Alberts who coached Kedah from1992-6, won all that had to be won in Malaysian football.
“We must build up this (Sarawak) team for the future because most of the players are still young, their average age being only 24 years – with many between 19 and 21.”
He said the young players were “very eager” to play against Kelantan on Sept 6, and, at the same time, to prove they could live with the top teams.
As part of their build-up, the Crocs will be playing friendly matches against Sime Darby on Aug 13 at MPPJ Stadium, PDRM on Aug 15 at Selayang Stadium and Negeri Sembilan on Aug 20 in Paroi.
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