Kota Bharu is in turmoil and the Crocs are feeling confident they could get a favourable result against Kelantan tomorrow.
Their confidence is not unwarranted as Kelantan has deteriorated in recent weeks, and a good 4-0 thumping by Sime Darby not only sealed their head coach’s fate, but also caused their president Annuar Musa to announce that there are some players in the squad which are ‘putting themselves above the team’.
Yet the Crocs are also wary of Kelantan, which many still believe are a quality side. The strike force of Kelantan in particular could bring problems for the Crocs which will be playing without strong defender Gabor Gyepes.
The attacking force of Kelantan would most probably see the debut of Prince Tagoe, a former World Cup striker whom will be eager to impress at his new club.
Aside from Prince, Ahmad Shakir Mohd Ali and Mohammed Ghaddar are also ever ready to stun the visitors shall they be left unmarked, and newly signed Brendan Gan could also steal the moment with his ability to dictate the midfield.
To make it even more difficult for the Crocs, Kelantan’s midfield boast of many household names in Malaysian football such as Wan Zack Haikal, Mohd Badhri Mohd Radzi and Ahmad Fakri Saarani, which could well prove to be too overwhelming for Sarawak’s midfielders.
Aside from that, the Red Warriors also boast of Malaysia’s first choice goalkeeper as their last defence with the the likes of Obinna Nwaneri covering and cutting out any possible attacks.
But the Crocs are on fire, and the huge upset by Sime Darby over Kelantan last Tuesday is a huge moral booster to a team like Sarawak who knows that Kelantan is in a different class.
Their last encounter saw the Red Warriors gun down the Crocs in Kuching, and the record shows that the Crocs have not won against Kelantan since 2008, with Kota Bharu in particular, a poor hunting ground for the Crocs since 2006.
S Chanturu will again look to stamp his mark in this game with Robert Alberts likely to field a similar line-up when the Crocs defeated ATM last Tuesday.
Muamer Salibasic who is still not match fit just yet is expected to come on from the bench, with Ryan Griffith and Hassan Mohamad spearheading the attack for the Crocs.
The midfield of Sarawak is expected to retain its regulars with Sharol Saperi continuing his amazing form at the centre of the park. A slight shift will probably happen in the defence of the Crocs with Gabor out for a month, giving way to either Hairol Mokhtar or Mazwandi Zakeria to start with Ronny Harun.
Young goalkeeper Fadzley Rahim is expected to be given the job between the post ahead of Sani Anuar after the former performed admirably in the last two consecutive games.
With that said, we do think this is an uphill battle for the Crocs, and that a draw would be something worth to cheer for.
OUR BIASED PREDICTION: KELANTAN 2-2 SARAWAK
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