ISKANDAR PUTERI, May 19 — Negeri Sembilan FC (NSFC) head coach Azzmi Ab Aziz is satisfied with his team’s performance despite their 1-3 defeat to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the Super League match at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium last night.
He said this was due to the Hobin Jang Hobin squad’s ability to maintain an attacking mentality even after trailing 0-2 as early as the 17th minute.
According to Azzmi, the defeat to the Southern Tigers was a valuable experience that will help improve his team’s performance in future matches.
“I was concerned when JDT scored two goals by the 17th minute, but alhamdulillah, the players showed a good mentality to fight back and managed to score. There were also several opportunities in JDT’s danger zone.
“I am proud that the players did not give up easily. We knew it wouldn’t be easy to play against JDT, but we had prepared well for this match,” he said at the post-match press conference last night.
However, Azzmi acknowledged the quality difference between the two teams, which allowed JDT to extend their unbeaten home record.
“Congratulations to JDT. We know their capabilities, and our players have managed to adapt to their playing rhythm. The difference was perhaps JDT’s player quality, which set them apart,” he said.
In last night’s match, JDT’s goals were scored by Bergson Da Silva, who netted twice, and their captain Jordi Amat Maas, while Hein Htet Aung scored NSFC’s goal.
Meanwhile, JDT head coach Hector Bidoglio said his players have yet to demonstrate their true quality as the 10-time consecutive champions of the Super League since 2014.
“It’s a tough game, especially the first one. But I believe our players will improve their performances in the upcoming months.
“Negeri Sembilan played a good game, so our players need to be patient in finding opportunities to score. We need to improve our attacking and also our defence for the future,” he said. — Bernama
