KUALA LUMPUR: The Sabah team thought the Turtles were easy meat. After all, Terengganu coach Tomislav Steinbruckner was down with Covid, and so were eight Terengganu players.
Yet, the Turtles were not toothless. In fact, they left Sabah shell-shocked with a 4-0 victory in the FA Cup quarter-final first leg in Gong Badak yesterday.
This has left Sabah coach Ong Kim Swee and his men facing an uphill task in the return leg - imagine climbing Mt Kinabalu at double the height - in Kota Kinabalu.
So, what happened? How did Sabah let in four goals and fail to score any?
Kim Swee claimed that it was due to complacency.
"We're complacent and didn't manage the game effectively, allowing Terengganu to capitaliee on our mistakes," he said.
Luckily for Terengganu, the Covid virus spared their three foreign players. Duly, Nigerian Ismahel Akinade scored a brace (37th minute and 45+3); the German-born Manuel Ott and Croatian Marin Pilj scored in the ninth and 40th respectively.
Terengganu assistant coach Badrul Afzan Razali said the key to his team's victory was "enjoying" the game.
Delighted with the Turtles' fluid teamwork, he said: "There's no secret strategy. I encouraged the players to enjoy ball possession."
Meanwhile Penang lost 1-0 to Kedah in the Northern derby at City Stadium.