KOTA KINABALU, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Sabah FC head coach Juan Torres Garrido has called on their fans to converge at the Likas Stadium and be their “12th player” in the “Borneo Derby” against Kuching City FC in the Super League here tomorrow, following a demanding schedule.
He is confident their presence would provide an “extra boost” for the players, particularly when they face difficult moments during the match.
“We need a full stadium to give us the extra energy we need, help us through the difficult moments and enjoy the good moments together,” he said in a statement today.
He said Sabah FC had only two days to recover after facing Selangor FC and would have to play three matches within seven days.
“We have to play three matche in seven days against two very strong teams, and this comes very early in the season.
“Our last match and training week have demanded a lot of energy under less-than-ideal circumstances. We hope this will not affect the players’ condition ahead of our next match,” he said.
He said the players’ condition was being closely monitored, while the use of different players was more a matter of match strategy than rotation.
“We do not see it a rotation. Our approach is more about match strategy and the energy required to execute the tempo of football we want,” he added.
Commenting on Kuching City FC, he acknowledged that the team had a strong squad after a good performance last season, while also boasting greater squad depth.
“This creates intense competition. We are motivated for this Borneo Derby. We can feel it among the local players, and we are confident that our supporters can feel it too.
“For now, we need our supporters to give us the extra boost we need after having only two days to recover from our last match,” he added.
-- BERNAMA