Kedah will be without Liridon Krasniqi and Amirul Hisyam Awang Kechik when they face Johor Darul Ta’azim (JDT) in the return leg of the Superbest Power FA Cup in Larkin on April 30.
The central midfield duo have been banned for one match after collecting their second yellow card of the tournament during the first leg match at the Darul Aman Stadium on Saturday.
The Red Hawks head coach Tan Cheng Hoe has told his team to forget the services of the Kosovan and Malaysian pair for the second leg and focus on the Malaysian Super League (MSL) match against T-Team tomorrow, as the both of them will be available to play.
“We have to give everything we have against T-Team in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow and I am relieved to be able to play both Liridon and Amirul then,” he said as quoted by The Star.
“We need to focus in the league because we cannot afford to drop anymore points.
“Our preparations for the T-Team encounter include monitoring Sandro da Silva’s injury on his left ankle. Time will tell whether he is fit enough to feature,” Tan Cheng Hoe concluded.
Liridon Krasniqi and Amirul Hisyam Awang Kechik were vital in midfield during the FA Cup tie against Mario Gomez’s men as they offered both attacking and defensive duties.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
The midfield pair will be a huge miss for Tan Cheng Hoe’s side in such a major game at the Larkin Stadium next weekend. They have been pivotal for The Red Hawks this season and have helped the 2015 Malaysia Premier League (MPL) winners rise to fifth place in the league, a point ahead of money-backed Kelantan. Kedah have not scored many goals this season (eight goals), but they have been one of the best teams in the league in terms of goals conceded (fourth-best; eight goals). Liridon and Amirul have been key in doing so. The ex-Ankaraspor midfielder is a powerhouse in Malaysian football. He bombs through his runs, provide brilliant passes and also helps Amirul out in defending duties from time to time. On the other hand, Amirul has been that Marco Veratti-like player, where he never stops running and is there when Kedah needs him the most.
Tan Cheng Hoe will have to go through hell and back when the visit the Larkin Stadium at the end of the month without their two key midfielders and will be eliminated if they lose 1-0.
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