KOTA BHARU: Kelantan coach Yusri Che Lah wants his players to rise to the occasion and beat Penang when the two sides clash at the Sultan Muhammad lV Stadium tomorrow night (Friday).
Yusri said that they must not lose in the eight remaining matches in the Premier League if they are to remain in the second tier of the Malaysia League (M-League), as they are currently languished rock bottom of the league standings in the dreaded relegation zone.
‘’We must admit that time is running out for us, and the players cannot afford to play without confidence, as if they continue to do so then they will keep on making mistakes and end up being punished by opposing teams.
‘’The players must have a positive attitude if they don’t want to end up being disappointed and remain bottom of the league, and worse case scenario staring at relegation,’’ he said when contacted here earlier today (Thursday).
After nine matches, Kelantan are currently bottom of the league with four points after only being able to carve out one win (points deducted), four draws and four losses.
Yusri was adamant that his players must focus more on their remaining league matches in efforts to get precious points and avoid the dreaded drop down to the third tier (M3).
‘’We must play with a more aggressive approach because we are in a very precarious situation after failing to record a win even at home, especially during the last couple of matches.
‘’We have yet to notch a win, especially at home, and it is a big problem because the fans want the team to perform well and win matches,’’ he said.
He said the team was slightly relieved when two of their stalwarts, Nik Akif Syahiran Nik Mat and Mohd Azwan Aripin completed their suspension and will be available for team selection.
“We still cannot field Nik Azli Nik Alias and Cassio de Jesus because they are still nursing injuries, but with the availability of Mohd Azwan, there will surely be a revamp of our defence, and only the best players will be chosen for the first-11,” he said. Bernama