Mohd Amri Yahyah

KOTA KINABALU (May 12): Sabah FC will be counting on the good form of Mohd Amri Yahyah to lead them against Kelantan United FC in the FA Cup second round tie at the Likas Stadium on Friday night.

The Rhinos’ evergreen striker, who scored a superb hattrick in his last outing, is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup as he continued to deputise for striker-in-chief Neto Pessoa who is a doubtful starter through injury.

Head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee believed Amri, 41, as well as the rest of his teammates would be able to rise to the occasion and deliver the desired result, although he was quick to warn the players of complacency.

Kim Swee said Kelantan United may be playing in the second-tier Premier League but it was not an excuse for the Rhinos to take their opponents lightly.

“The game tomorrow (Friday) is very important … we certainly can’t take the opposing team for granted just because of their status.

“They (teams from lower league) tend to make life tougher against higher ranked team … they have that extra determination to show their best and prove that they can match any teams from the Super League.

“What’s important is for Sabah FC to play to the game plan and to remain focused throughout the game.

“We need a good performance to secure a positive result, more so when we are playing in front of our supporters,” Kim Swee said in a Sabah FC statement issued on Thursday.

In fact, Pessoa is not the only key player to miss the FA Cup second round tie as Saddil Ramdani is also unavailable after he was given special permission to be with the Indonesia national team in the on-going 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

“I will wait until before kick-off in naming the starting line-up for the FA Cup game.

“There’s no need to be worried (with absence of Pessoa and Saddil) because we have many options who are capable of filling the gap.

“We need to take into consideration of the various factors including the impact on the team before naming the squad.

“This is to ensure that Sabah FC will be successful and progress to the next round of competition,” added Kim Swee.

Meanwhile, Kim Swee has called on the supporters to come to the Likas Stadium and support the Rhinos in action against Kelantan United.

“The FA Cup is a knock-out competition … there will be no second chance so we need the supporters to back us throughout the game.

“Sabah FC need the energy from the around the stand to push for a positive outcome thus securing our passage into the next round,” he said.

For the record, Kim Swee was one of the members of the Sabah squad that captured its first and only FA Cup title back in 1995.