Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Turtles not too bad


KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu coach Mat Zan Mat Aris believes his team’s current losing streak is just another phase for the east coast side.
The Turtles received a 6-1 hammering from Selangor in a Super League match before losing 2-0 to Singapore outfit Tampines Rovers in an AFC Cup match on Tuesday.


“Honestly, I’m not that worried. I don’t think we’re doing that bad in the league. We’re FA Cup semifinalists and we still have a fighting chance to qualify for the second round of the AFC Cup so yeah, we’re not that bad,” said Mat Zan.
Mat Zan admitted they have been playing with tired legs due to the tight schedule but insisted it was not an excuse.
“It will naturally take a toll on the players. They will be tired, some will be injured and there are those who are suspended. This is football and we have to work around the schedule.
“I know the fans would like to see us win ... we want to win too but it can be quite taxing.
“Our record isn’t that bad so it’s unfair to write us off just yet. Some big names are not even playing in the FA Cup or AFC Cup, but we are. Hopefully, our fortunes will change for the better soon.”
Terengganu did not field several regulars, including defenders Zubir Azmi, Muslim Ahmad and striker Abdul Manaf Mamat against Tampines Rovers. Zubir was serving his suspension while Muslim and Manaf were injured.
Mat Zan, however, pointed out the standard of teams in the region was quite balanced.
“We just performed badly against Tampines ... our movement and passing simply didn’t work. If we address that, we’ll be able to put up a better fight in our next AFC Cup match,” he added.
Terengganu will host Vietnam’s Song Lam Nghe An at the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Stadium on April 25 in their next AFC Cup match. Hong Kong club Kitchee lead Group F with nine points from three matches while Terengganu are second with six points from four matches.
Terengganu, currently placed third in the Super League, will play Negri Sembilan on Saturday.
“I hope all our key players will be available and we can give the fans something to cheer about,” Mat Zan added.

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