DBasia.news – Long standing champion Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) staged a second win when they visited Kota Bharu to face Kelantan in Group C Malaysia Cup match at Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV tonight.
JDT captain Hariss Harun described the 5-1 win over Kedah, on Friday, is crucial for the team to re-improve the players’ morals to pursue a victory for a prestigious trophy.
However, the Singaporean admits that the match against the Red Warriors (TRW) squad were not an easy task at home, as well as Yusri Che Lah’s squad for the first time.
“Kelantan is a tough team when playing on their own site and it was proved that in the early days of the Super League, we had to work hard to win a 2-1 win in a fierce battle against the team.
“The 1-2 defeat to MIFA in the first batch of rivals was enough to give us a lesson and it was also a surprise but everything was temporary after it came from disappointment to make the first victory beat Kedah.
“The victory over Kelantan is crucial to keep our position secure for the next round, although it’s too early to talk about it but we have to plan and focus on the remaining three games,” he said.
Hariss insisted the ranks of Kelantan players could not be underestimated although the team had yet to win the group competition but JDT would come down with a high determination to hunt three points even though it was apparently winding
He is therefore optimistic that coaching pair Luciano Figueroa and Benjamin Mora are capable of forming a powerful tactical plan in preparation for the TRW that will put pressure to find the first win.
He added that JDT’s victory in the league match in the last two games was no longer a measure because the Malaysian Cup’s level is different because the game period is so short and should always focus on the next game.
“The hunt for a win is our main agenda but in that excitement, we have to be cautious as all teams want to beat the league’s JDT status so we have to come up with a quality gameplan and avoid making mistakes,” Hariss said.