T-Team aiming to cause more upsets in Malaysia Cup

T-Team have what it takes to win the Malaysia Cup.

This bold assumption came from their injured first choice goalkeeper Syamsuri Mustafa after watching his team beat Selangor by a solitary goal in their opening Group D match in Kuala Terengganu on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old former national goalkeeper, who is recovering from knee surgery and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, said his replacement Mohd Jibrail Kamaron Baharin did a good job in his first game for T-Team.

"Some of us were worried that Jibrail, who played in the FAM League with Pos Malaysia, would find it hard to cope with the pace of the Super League," said Syamsuri.
 

"Except for one or two minor errors, he did fine and I think he will be able to keep many more clean sheets."

The Pahang-born player, who won the Malaysia Cup with Terengganu in 2001, said it will be a mistake for any team to dismiss T-Team as title contenders.

"We did poorly in the FA Cup and finished ninth in the league but that does not mean we cannot go all the way in this competition," he said.

"We were inconsistent in the league but have learnt our lesson.

"After clinching our third win over Selangor this season, we are not going to lose to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (tomorrow)."

Syamsuri acknowledged that things were not all smooth earlier on as there were problems among the players.

"But that is all now history and I am delighted to note that the morale in the camp is at all time high.

"Even Jibrail and another newcomer Mohd Fitri Omar are now part of the happy family," said Syamsuri, who received about RM7,400 in medical benefits from the Social Security Organisation (Socso) yesterday.

The payout was for his 94 days of sick leave and he said it is good that footballers are now covered under Socso.

"Kudos to the management which has been trying hard to put football players on the same level as any other worker.

"We were registered under Socso only this year but as the saying goes, better late than never," he said.

Apart from Syamsuri, defender Subri Sulong and striker Norfarhan Mohamad also received Socso medical benefits from Socso Terengganu deputy director Norihan Ibrahim.