| Fadhil Yunus |
I-TEAM manager Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Ali has vowed to work hard to fulfil their ambition of playing for the President Cup 1 title ahead of their semi-final tie against KB Warriors FT at the BSRC Field today.
“Certainly it cannot be denied that every manager wants their team to reach the next stage until the final,” he said in an interview.
“There is nothing more priceless and to be proud of than seeing a team gaining a win besides preserving the image of the team and becoming a source of pride for players and members of the executive committee.
“We will do our best to win in our match (against KB Warriors FT),” the manager affirmed.
With a first meeting in the President Cup between both sides adding zest to a mouth-watering tie, the winner will meet tournament favourites Al Idrus FT in the final.
The team have not been involved in any special training as time had been limited but what had been highlighted to the players was to train individually and correcting their weaknesses.
Other than that, the players have been encouraged to be prepared in terms of mental and physical aspects coupled with a positive attitude, feeling fit, having self-belief as well as constantly sensitive in their technique during the game.
Haji Abdul Rahman has also updated on the current status of the players who are in good condition and has no immediate concerns.
“The players are well aware that the upcoming match is very important and only a win will fulfil our hopes of advancing to the final,” he said.
Like his counterpart in the KB Warriors camp, Haji Abdul Rahman realised the difficulty of a strong team and paid respects to their rivals.
“In my opinion, our opponents (KB Warriors) are a quality side. I-Team acknowledge that our match this weekend will be a stern test and we also acknowledge that they have experienced players.”
“In every match, there is victory and defeat. The key to winning is to stay calm under pressure,” he further said.
“As a manager, I always remind my players to never concede defeat and to always stay focussed during the game,” he said.
I-Team reached the last-four stage after edging Stoneville 2-1 last month thanks to solitary efforts from Hamdani and Kula Muhammad.