KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Lawrence Gimbang said they will not set any specific target for the team in the upcoming Malaysia Cup that kicks off on June 11.
The Sabah FA President said that it would be enough for the team to try their level best and make an impression in the prestigious competition.
“We will not set any specific target. We don’t want to give them any unnecessary pressure. But I want to make it clear that they must give their maximum throughout the competition,” Gimbang said when met at the opening ceremony of the AFC coaching and referees’ course held in conjunction with the AFC Under-14 Football Carnival yesterday.
“They must also take this opportunity to make amends after a disappointing Premier League campaign,” he added.
“Last time around, we reached the semi-finals, so they must try to do better than that this time.
On the Rhinos preparations, he said that the team have been undergoing training under the watchful eyes of head coach Drago Mamic.
In the Malaysia Cup, Sabah have been drawn in Group B alongside reigning champions Kedah, Johor FC, Penang, Police, and Kuala Lumpur. They must finish among the top two teams or at least finish the preliminary round campaign among the best two third placed teams to march through into the next round.
For the record, the 18 participating teams have been drawn into three groups with Terengganu, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, Melaka and Kelantan making up Group A, while Perak, Perlis, Pahang, UPB-My Team, Johor Pasir Gudang and ATM are in Group C.
