SELANGOR: Sarawak showed plenty of promise in their Group A opener but were unable to turn their chances into goals as they fell 2-0 to Sabah at Stadium UKM today.
The ‘Land of the Hornbills’ side started brightly, controlling possession and defending well as they looked to take charge of the match.
However, Sabah took the lead through Emerson Ambatik Ayub in the third minute of added time at the end of the first half.
Sarawak, led by head coach Firdaus Morshidi, returned after the break with renewed determination and pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
They appeared to have found the breakthrough, only for the goal to be ruled out, leaving Sarawak to continue their search for a way back into the match.
The young Sarawak side remained committed and continued to attack, creating opportunities as they looked to level the score.
Sabah, however, held firm and eventually sealed the win when Muhamad Iqmal Amran struck in the fourth minute of added time.
The defeat leaves Sarawak needing a positive result against Terengganu in their next Group A match to keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.
Firdaus and his charges will now look to regroup and respond strongly in their next outing.
