Sabah Mountaineers mahu melupakan segala derita sambil mengharapkan tuah pusingan kedua untuk memburu kemenangan pertama dalam saingan Liga Sepak Takraw (STL) musim ini.
Biarpun memberikan aksi terbaik, termasuk mengheret beberapa pasukan pilihan beraksi dalam set penentuan, rezeki masih belum berpihak kepada skuad kendalian Malai Efendy Malai Mohammad itu.
Kapten Mountaineers, Daut Amba, mengakui mereka tidak mudah berputus asa dan mahu memulakan pusingan kedua dengan langkah kanan menentang Johor Tigris.
"Kami tidak mudah menyerah kalah dan yakin kemenangan pertama yang dicari bakal menjadi kenyataan.
"Tempoh rehat yang agak panjang ini digunakan untuk membaiki kelemahan daripada aspek pertahanan dan taktikal permainan.
"Jurulatih juga mahu kami tingkatkan komunikasi dalam gelanggang dan tidak mudah hilang fokus di hujung permainan.
"Di atas kertas tentulah Johor Tigris yang berada di tangga kedua menjadi pilihan, namun kami percaya dalam sepak takraw apa sahaja boleh berlaku," katanya.
Daut yang juga jurulatih skuad wanita kebangsaan, percaya tekong import kelahiran Thailand, Wiraphong Phukoet, mampu meningkatkan lagi prestasi untuk mendapatkan mata mudah melalui servis kencangnya.
"Masalah komunikasi menjadi halangan utama, namun selepas lima minggu bersama, dia (Wiraphong) sudah mampu memahami gaya permainan rakan sepasukan.
"Kami juga memiliki bekas pelibas kebangsaan, Khairuddin Adenan, yang mahu memberikan aksi lebih baik dalam pusingan kedua ini," ujarnya.
Untuk rekod, Mountaineers terperosok di dasar liga tanpa sebarang mata selepas sembilan perlawanan dan akan membuka tirai pusingan kedua menentang Johor Tigris dan Penang Black Panthers.
Kredit Foto: STL
Farizal Yusoff
Fri Oct 04 2019


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