KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah coach Ong Kim Swee feels his team were robbed of an AFC Cup spot by the Malaysian Football League (MFL), who only confirmed its qualifying mechanism hours before the final day of the Super League yesterday.
The Rhinos finished third in the Super League with 42 points, behind champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and second-placed Terengganu.
Yesterday, Sabah were defeated 3-0 by JDT in their final league match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Kim Swee is frustrated because MFL only confirmed the AFC Cup slots for each M-league competition at 3pm yesterday.
It was first assumed that the third-ranked team in the league would earn an AFC Cup berth.
Instead, the slot is for the Malaysia Cup champions. However, if JDT, who have qualified for the Asian Champions League, win the competition, Sabah will play in the AFC Cup next year.
"We feel robbed by MFL's explanation. We should have been celebrating our success in earning an AFC Cup berth. I feel sorry for the players and fans," said Kim Swee after the match.
"Against JDT, we did not play to our ability and lost the game. We do not have depth, so finishing third is an achievement, and we have achieved our target.
"With more players coming in next season, we will be able to do better."