There’s no doubting the fact that both Kedah and Selangor have worked their socks off to get into the Malaysia Cup final, but at this point, it’s rarely about effort anymore. A single moment of brilliance is more than enough to settle a specific final and this one is no difference.
Best part? Both teams have players capable of producing those moments of magic that could ultimately determine the outcome of the game. So ahead of what should be a momentous final tomorrow night, we take a look at 5 players that could play a key role at the Shah Alam Stadium.
LIRIDON KRASNIQI – The 23 year-old midfielder from Kosovo has arguably been one of the best foreign players in Malaysia, throughout this year. His arrival was rather low-key, but Krasniqi assimilated into the Kedah squad with ease and has been pivotal to their excellent campaign. What makes Krasniqi a terrific option in midfield, is his sheer comfort on and off the ball. The ex-Ankaraspor man is equally smart with his positioning as well, and is capable of producing defence-splitting passes in the middle of the park. So much has been said about Kedah’s goalscoring duo in the form of Sandro and Chidi Edeh, but Krasniqi is equally important to them, if not more.
ANDIK VERMANSYAH – If you’re a Selangor player and you’re looking to hit your opponents on the counter-attack, the first teammate you’d look for is Andik Vermansyah. He’s got sheer pace and plenty of tricks under his belt as well – which makes him a dangerous opponent for any defender out there. Mehmet may still be contemplating his first 11 for the game, but it’s probably safe to say that Andik will be on that list. He’s been a consistent attacking outlet for the Red Giants this year, and expect him to be pulling the strings for the Selangor, when the whistle blows, tomorrow night.
AFIQ AZMI – He’ll remind you of Chicharito to a large extent – effective as a ‘super-sub’. The tall forward rarely starts, but makes a strong impact every time he comes off the bench. In fact, that was how he ended up being the top scoring Malaysian in the Malaysian Super League with eight goals. Judging by Durakovic’s tactics in recent games, it’s highly unlikely that Afiq will start tomorrow, but expect him to come on at some point and don’t be surprised if he uses his height to potentially shift the game into Selangor’s favour.
SANDRO DA SILVA – Statistically, he’s been the most vicious Kedah player this year. Sandro netted nine goals in 16 MSL games after joining them during the April transfer window and even in the Malaysia Cup, he’s on top of the scoring charts with eight goals, alongside Felda United’s Thiago Augusto. He is creative and is equally good at using his upper body strength to his advantage. But beyond that, Sandro has a knack of producing moments of brilliance through set-pieces as well – as he did during the second leg of their quarter-final clash against PKNS. Shahrom Kalam and co will have to keep a close eye on this guy, if they intend to claim victory on Saturday night.
NAZMI FAIZ – While the diminutive midfielder may not be the most exciting player around, his role in this game could be extremely crucial to Selangor’s chances of triumphing. Just as he did against Pahang, Nazmi will be tasked penetrating Kedah’s midfield shield, which consists of Badrol Bakthiar and Krasniqi. Nazmi was incredibly efficient against Pahang, particularly in bringing composure to the game. Teams tend play in an agigated manner, especially in games of this stature. But the 21 year-old could be the right man to inject some much-needed poise into Selangor’s style of play.
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