New Sabah Times
JELIUS ATING is still on the lookout for a prolific foreign striker to spearhead the Sabah Rhinos attack next year. The Sabah Rhinos head coach said he is not in a hurry to fill in the last quota of a foreign player in the team.
At the moment, four hopeful Rhinos namely Ivory Cost duo Ballo Famoussa and Arthur Kouassi as well as latest arrivals Alagi Sosseh of Gambia and Sergi Arimany I Pruenca are currently attending trials with the team.
The foursome was involved in the Sabah Rhinos’ second friendly game against Indonesian side PPLM Bina Sentra, which the home side won 1-0 at the Likas Stadium on Wednesday.
Sabah Rhinos needed a late strike from Kouassi, who connected a cross from Jaenyeong, to win the match. However, none seemed to impress Jelius, and they need to do a lot more if they harbour hope to don Sabah Rhinos colours.
Jelius said: “We will give them (foreign hopefuls) a chance (to show what they capable of) in the friendlies, including the two new ones yesterday (Wednesday). None have really impressed us yet, though.
“That said, until we find the top candidate, I’m not in a rush to select the foreign import…there is still time to look for the best option,” he said yesterday.
On the local players, Jelius said he was happy to see that the youngsters are making positive progress with the team.
While he refused to confirm whether they would be offered a contract, the former state captain said the chances will be greater if they continue to make improvements in their game.
“Apart from the foreign imports, I also got the young players involved in the friendlies.
“Our young players have the potential but they need exposure at competitive matches to continue to develop and mature in their game. I’m happy that the locals showed improvement since joining the senior team in training and I hope they will progress further.
“If they can do that, there will be a strong chance that they will be included in the team,” added Jelius. Jelius said midfielder Ilyas Sulaiman who last played for Penang is the only local import currently on trials.
