KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Sept – It will be a battle of the Brazilians when Penang entertain Negeri Sembilan at the City Stadium in Friday’s Premier League match after both sides resumed their league campaign on a winning note.
While Negeri carved out a 1-0 win over previously unbeaten and leaders Terengganu FC II at home in their opener, Penang hammered Kelantan in Kota Baru 3-0 in a surprise win with Brazilian hitman Endrick Dos Santos getting a hat-trick.
Negeri’s head coach Sazali Saidon is keeping his fingers crossed that his team will not cave in at the City Stadium but instead take the game into Penang and challenge the Panthers for full points.
”I believe it will be a battle of the Brazilians in this match,” said Sazali after arriving with the team in Penang by bus, referring to the two Brazilians with Negeri – Jose Almir Neto and Igor Luiz.
Apart from Dos Santos in the team Penang also another big name from the Samba nation – Anselmo Casagrande who is said to be more dangerous than the former.
“I am hoping that Neto and Luiz will be able to hold their own at the City Stadium after a rather subdued match against Terengganu. Playing after a long break due to the suspension of the league because of Covid-19 made the duo a bit rusty.”
Negeri’s Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakatake who had a hand in the goal against Terengganu is Sazali’s trump card in the team.
After five matches Penang is only a point behind leaders Terengganu with 11 points – the same as third-placed Kuala Lumpur with goal-difference separating the two.
Negeri is in the seventh spot on six points.
On Wednesday, the Negeri team was given a pep-talk by the president of the Negeri Sembilan FA, Tunku Syed Razman Tunku Syed Idrus Al-Qadri who is also the Tunku Besar of Tampin.
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