KOTA KINABALU, April 28 (Bernama) -- Hougang United Football Club Head Coach Marko Kraljević believes that the upcoming Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Cup 2024, taking place from tomorrow until May 5, will provide valuable learning opportunities for his team against Malaysian sides.
As a Singaporean club, Hougang United relishes the chance to compete against Malaysian teams, especially given the noticeable improvement in Malaysian football over recent years, he said.
According to Kraljević, playing against Malaysian teams allows them to benchmark themselves and understand the progress made in Malaysian football.
“Malaysian football has improved and it is always good to play against better teams to know the level of our team.
“Sabah FC, Kuching City FC and Kuala Lumpur (KL) City FC is very good Malaysian sides, coached by friends who I know are good coaches. So it is good to learn from them,” he said at a press conference in conjunction with the tournament at Likas Stadium here today.
Also present were Sabah Head Coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee and Kuching City Head Coach Aidil Sharin Sahak.
Kraljević highlighted the significance of this tournament in evaluating his team's performance, particularly since Hougang United boasts a lineup consisting of 78 percent new players, and with the Singapore Premier League set to kick off on May 10, the coach sees this competition as crucial preparation for ‘The Cheetahs’, who finished sixth last season.
“We had a choice to prepare and play in Sabah or Kuala Lumpur, but after talks with the management we chose Sabah because we had a good game here last year (AFC Cup against Sabah FC) and we like the challenge against a good team, good learning experience,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kim Swee expressed his team's ambition to clinch victory in the SMJ Cup 2024, but said the primary objective is to assess his players' abilities and provide playing time for squad members to build fitness and cohesion before the Super League commences on May 12.
The SMJ Cup, which will be played in a league format, will see the champions pocketing RM15,000, while the runner-up will take home RM10,000 and the third and fourth-placed teams RM5,000 and RM3,000 respectively.
All matches will be held at Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu, and tickets are available for purchase online at www.tickethotline.com.my.
Fixtures:
April 29: KL City vs Kuching City - 4 pm; Sabah vs Hougang United - 8 pm
May 1: Kuching City vs Hougang United - 4 pm; Sabah vs KL City - 8 pm
May 3: Hougang United vs KL City - 4 pm; Sabah vs Kuching City - 8 pm
May 5: Third and fourth place match - 4 pm; Final - 8 pm
-- BERNAMA
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