The spot for the quarter finals of the Malaysia Cup just opened up to Kedah last night thanks a slim win by the Canaries who beat Perak in Ipoh. The win means Sarawak needs a win tonight to qualify for the next round at the expense of Lions XII who will be knocked out of the competition.
A draw result for either the Lions or Sarawak would be very harmful for both, but Lions would be at the utmost disadvantage by needing a win at Darul Aman when the face Kedah, with hope Perak falter in Kuching.
While the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has delightfully allowed Lions XII to gain an extra rest day thanks to their participation on the Merdeka Cup tournament, the Lions are no pushovers at Jalan Besar Stadium with the artificial pitch giving them an added advantage, although such fact has been denied by many.
It was also reported that V. Sundramoorthy rested captain Shahril Ishak during the last game of the Merdeka Cup, ensuring the Singaporean side has enough rest when taking on Premier League champions tonight.
Other players the Crocs need to watch for are towering Baihakki Khaizan and Safuwan Baharud whom are both known to be able to create and score chances.
But the Crocs are reported to be in high spirits as they visit Jalan Besar tonight.
Sarawak coach Robert Alberts was reported by numerous papers that the Crocs plan to win, and they are postive of coming out with a favourable result at Jalan Besar.
The game may see Ashri Chuchu make his first debut off the bench after his long absence due to injury, but the regular players are expected to start as usual. If Ashri gets the nod, the Lions would need to be prepared for his explosive runs, which always end up with goals.
Reports obtained by us during the artificial pitch training by Sarawak in Kuala Lumpur recently revealed that Roberts was working hard on getting players to move the ball faster, and strike Lions XII using the depth of the midfield.
It was also reported that Bobby Gonzales is expected to be heavily guarded, hence providing opportunities to Zamri Morshidi and Azizan Baba to make an impact from the flanks. The duo was key for Sarawak’s fine form during the Premier League, and they are yet again expected to be the ‘secret weapon’ for the visiting team.
With captain Sharol Saperi out due to injury, the Crocs is expected to partner national player Junior Eldstal with Guys Bwele from the start, with the solid back four of Sarawak retained in front of national goalkeeper Sani Anuar.
Sarawak’s defense is one of the best in the league, having leaked little goals during the 2013 season.
This is one game which will go down the wire, with the Premier League champions already proving they are better than the Super League champions in Kuching.
That said, we are expecting nothing much to change at Jalan Besar despite the artificial pitch, with Sarawak qualifying to the quarter finals, and also denying Lions XII any chance of advancing into the later stages of the tournament.
OUR BIASED PREDICTION: LIONS FA 1-2 SARAWAK FA
The match will be televised live over Astro Arena, but if you are not able to catch it at 7:45PM, you can get instant play by play updates by following @SarawakCrocs (1st half) and @Sarawak_FC (2nd half) on Twitter.
