JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) captain, Safiq Rahim has demanded that his fellow team-mates forget about the despair of failing to advance to the FA Cup semi-finals and the AFC Cup’s Asean Zone, and instead focus on the upcoming Super League match against troubled East Coast giants Kelantan at the Sultan Muhammad V Stadium in Kota Bharu tomorrow night (Saturday).
Safiq admits that the double whammy of disappointments has left deep scars for him and his team-mates, though he stressed that they should not linger but instead bounce back and focus on defending the Super League title which is the Southern Tigers main objective.
"Maybe it is our destiny not to succeed in the FA Cup and the AFC Cup. I admit it has affected our team morale but we should not be too disappointed because we still have a fight on our hands in the league.
"Anyway, our main mission this season is to successfully defend our Super League title for a fifth year in a row, and there is still a long way to go even though we are currently top of the league standings. So we must rise to the occasion and focus on our mission so as to avoid the same fate that befell us in the Cup competitions,” he said.
However, Safiq admits that the 3-2 victory over Vietnamese club Song Nam Nghe An FC in their final AFC Cup, Group H match not only bolstered their confidence but has also left a positive impact on the team as they prepare to face the Red Warriors.
Safiq though has sounded out a warning to his team-mates in not taking Kelantan lightly even though the Red Warriors team are currently undergoing a transformation process under new coach, 53-year-old Syrian, Fajer Ebrahim.
"I just do not believe that we will have it easy against Kelantan who are currently second from bottom in the Super League. They have their strengths, and remember they will be playing at home, so we will need to keep calm and not buckle under pressure to get the win,” said Safiq.