KUALA NERUS, Jan 16 — Terengganu FC (TFC) will not resort to ‘parking the bus’ in front of their goal in the first leg of the Malaysia Cup semifinals against Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium (SSMZA) here tomorrow night.

The head coach of the Turtles, Badrul Afzan Razali, emphasised the importance of scoring goals against the Southern Tigers in a two-legged format, especially when playing at home.

However, he reminded his players to adhere to the planned strategies and avoid simple mistakes that could expose their defence.

"We acknowledge the tough challenge of facing the giants, JDT, tomorrow. But that’s no excuse to fear or give up before the battle begins.

"I urge the players to give their best performance. Use the advantage of the first leg at home to secure goals as a cushion for the return leg at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium (SSI) on Feb 1,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Badrul Afzan expressed relief as nimble winger Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid will be available for tomorrow’s match after signing a permanent contract with TFC until the 2026/27 season.

However, at the same time, he said that the Turtles’ defence will be slightly weakened with the absence of Muhammad Azam Azmi Murad, who is sidelined due to an ankle injury.

"Ivan Mamut is also unavailable as he is still undergoing rehabilitation, while Safawi (Muhammad Safawi Rasid) remains tied to JDT.

"But I trust our local players to perform well. Their performance and quality have been proven in previous matches,” he said, adding that he already has a clear idea of the starting lineup. — Bernama