KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu head coach Tomislav Steinbruckner is hoping his charges will make it count when it matters when they face Bali United in their final AFC Cup Group G match at Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium tomorrow.
The Turtles are second in the group, one point adrift of Central Coast Mariners. The latter will face last-placed Stallion Laguna (Philippines) tomorrow.
Terengganu - unbeaten in the competition so far - need to defeat Bali and hope that Stallion beat the Mariners.
Only the top team in the group advances.
Steinbruckner admitted that dropping points in the 2-2 draw against Stallion in Kuala Terengganu on Oct 28 has hurt their chances of qualifying.
"We took four points from the Aussies but we drew with the Stallions when all the other teams had beaten them," said Steinbruckner during the pre-match presser today.
"We will follow that match (Mariners-Stallion) which will be played early but we will focus on ourselves. If the results in the Philippines go our way but we don't do our job here it would be meaningless."
The Croatian coach is expecting a tough match against Bali and a growing crock list is not helping their cause.
Striker Ivan Mamut as well as defenders Azam Azmi Murad and Ubaidullah Shamsul are all injured.
"Ivan didn't train on Monday, he was not feeling well and had an infusion in hospital," said Steinbruckner.
"Azam has a knee problem and he went to check with the national team doctor in Kuala Lumpur. Ubaidullah is also injured.
"I'm a bit worried as after the Malaysia Cup final, the players are (feeling) a bit empty, not physically but psychologically because we gave our best but we lost in the match.
"Tomorrow's match will be same as the first leg in Bali, it will be a tough match.
"They (Bali) have improved over the last two or three months and are now second in the Indonesian league."
Ubaidullah injured his knee during the 3-1 loss to Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) in the Malaysia Cup final on Friday.