Terengganu chief coach Irfan Bakti is no golfer and does not even know the rules of the game but on Sunday night he stayed up late to watch Tiger Woods win his first title in more than five years – a two-shot win at The Tour Championships at Atlanta’sEast Lake Golf course. It was his 80th PGA Tour title – and an emotional one too.
Irfan learned a thing form Woods’ win – “Never Give Up.” And this exactly what he wants his Turtles to do for this Friday’s return-leg Malaysia Cup quarter-final match against Felda United at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu.
“I liked what I saw of Woods…cool and confident in his play,” said Irfan from Kuala Terengganu.
Terengganu takes a 2-1 lead from the first leg played at the Tun Abdul Razak Stadium in Jengka, Pahang last Friday. However, know Felda’s fighting spirit and never say die attitude and with 90 more minutes to be played, Irfan is a worried man.
With Terengganu having a poor record at home in the Malaysia Cup this season, having lost to Perak and also Kuala Lumpur, Irfan will have his hands full in plotting his team’s strategies in front of the home crowd.
“Winning the first leg is certainly a morale booster, more so when we have two away goals advantage…but it stops at that. We got to go for another win and ensure that Felda does not score,” said Irfan.
In the first-leg, Terengganu scored the winner through England-born Lee Tuck from the penalty spot after Nasrullah Haniff Johan who scored with the first touch of the ball after replacing centreback Wan Amirzafran Nadris who was stretched out with a knee injury. Felda equalized through Gilberto Fortunato.
Irfan is also concerned with his team’s poor show in the first half of the first leg before waking up in the second half.
“We need to be confident on the ball and the midfield will have to buck up for us to play our normal attacking football. For sure we will not defend our 2-1 lead…that is not my style of football,” added Irfan. RIZAL ABDULLAH
