SMK Bukit Rambai of Melaka pipped hosts SMK Dato’ Sri Amar Diraja of Johor 2-0 win Group B as they set up a quarter-final clash against SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah in the quarter-finals of the 100PLUS Super Cup tomorrow morning.
With both SMK Bukit Rambai and also SMK Dato’ Bentara Diraja already confirming their places in the next round, the match today was important so as to decide to group winner and heopfully get a better draw in the cross-over.
And while SMK Dato’ Bentara Diraja was in confident mode yesterday, this morning under sweltering sun, the southerners found it hard going as they were all over the place and struggled to get a shot in.
In the end, two well-taken strikes from Nur Arief Hakeem Nor Amran in the 35th minute and then Muhammad Tarmizi Abdul Ghaffar in the 40th minute were enough for SMK Bukit Rambai to win the tie and the group.
“The level of confidence in the team is very high as afterall I have been handling this team for the past several years,” said Zaini Hussein, the head coach of SMK Bukit Rambai.
“But I feel our shooting is still a bit on the down side, so that is definite one area which we need to improve on. Playing on artificial pitch is a bit different but we are adjusting well.
“In the quarter-final (against SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah), we will make just some small changes to tweak the team a bit further. We know the Negeri boys quite well, so we will be prepared.”
In the meantime, former champs SMK Kulim of Kedah crashed out of the 100PLUS Super Cup when they fell to a humiliating 4-1 loss to SMK Perkasa of Perak in their final game of Group D.
Needing a win to ensure their place in the next round, SMK Kulim failed to take the initiative as SMK Perkasa punished them off goals from Muhammad Fariz Kamardin in the eighth minute, Ahmad Nazreen Zahrul (26th minute), Shahrul Naim Shamsul (41st) and Abdul Razak Mastor (51st).
SMK Kulim’s only goal of the game came off Muhammad Zuhairi in the 14th minute.
The quarter-final matches of the 100PLUS Super Cup will start at 8am tomorrow morning with the semi-finals in the afternoon at 4pm at the same venue of the Sukan Sekolah Tunku Mahkota Ismail.
The MELC and 100PLUS Super Cup are among several youth programmes and competitions supported by 100PLUS, Malaysia’s leading isotonic beverage.
The others include the 100PLUS Malaysian Junior Golf Open and the 100PLUS National Junior Badminton Circuit. 100PLUS is recommended by the National Sports Council.
PHOTO CAPTION
SMK Dato’ Sri Amar Diraja (in dark blue / white) against SMK Bukit Rambai (in all white)
RESULTS
 SMK Tinggi Kajang (Selangor) 3
SMK Tinggi Setapak (Kuala Lumpur) 0
SMK Perkasa (Perak) 4
SMK Kulim (Kedah) 1
SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah (Negeri Sembilan) 0
SMK Sultan Sulaiman (Terengganu) 0
SMK Datuk Mahmood (Pahang) 0
SMK Putrajaya Presint 14(1) 0
SMK Dato’ Sri Amar Diraja (Johor) 0 Â Â Â Â
SMK Bukit Rambai (Melaka) 2
Â
Â
QUARTER-FINALS FIXTURES
 SMK Bukit Chengal (Kelantan) vs SMK Perkasa (Perak)
SMK Bukit Rambai (Melaka) vs SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah (Negeri Sembilan)
SMK Guar Perahu (Penang) vs SMK Dato’ Seri Amar Diraja (Johor)
SMK Tinggi Kajang (Selangor) vs SMK Putrajaya Presint 14(1)
