KOTA BHARU The narrow 0-1 defeat to Kuching City FC in a Super League match at Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium here last night disappointed Kelantan Real Warriors FC assistant head coach, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli.
Akmal Rizal said the disappointment was due to the failure of the attacking line to convert opportunities despite his team dominating the match and creating several goal-scoring opportunities.
He said the result was very disappointing considering the team was playing at home and was trying to find a winning streak to improve their position in the Super League chart this season.
“We dominated the game, followed the plan and attacked more, but failed to score goals despite the opportunities,” he told reporters after the match last night.
According to him, Kuching City FC wisely took advantage of the opportunities they got when they scored in the first half, besides displaying high discipline in defence to maintain their advantage until the end of the match.
In the match, Kuching City FC scored the only goal through Danial Amer in the 19th minute with a shot in the penalty box that beat Kelantan Real Warriors goalkeeper, Damyanov Valeriy.
The defeat saw Kelantan Real Warriors FC now in 10th position in the league with 11 points from three wins, two draws and eight losses.
Commenting further, Akmal Rizal admitted that the failure to score goals was also influenced by the quality and physical strength of the opposing team’s imported defenders.
“Our strikers find it difficult to face the opposing defence physically and that makes it difficult for them to score goals,” he said.
He said his team was assessing the need to add strength in the attack, including the possibility of bringing in new imported players, subject to the club management’s decision.
“The attack is currently in a critical condition and needs to be improved to face the rest of the second round of the league. However, as a coach, I accept whatever decision the management makes,” he said. – BERNAMA
