PETALING JAYA, 26 Aug – Selangor head coach B. Sathianathan will not start with his Nigerian striker, Ifedayo Olusugen when the Red Giants resume their Super League campaign with a home match against wounded Petaling Jaya City FC at their new home venue at UiTM Stadium in Shah Alam.
“It is wrong time to play PJ City,” said Sathianathan on PJ City’s 2-0 defeat to Terengganu at home on Saturday.
The match was postponed before the M-League came to halt following the government’s movement control order (MCO) came into effect on March 18 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
”They (PJ City) are wounded and you can expect a backlash from our opponents. (K) Devan is an experienced coach who must have identified the shortcomings. It will be a very tough match for us.”
Sathianathan is not concerned with the latest off-field developments in the Selangor FA with reports coming out that his job will be reviewed for the new season.
Sathianathan’s existing contract ends at the end of this year.
”I have a job to do and I am fully focused on the coming matches. We have tough matches ahead and we cannot get distracted on what has been said about my future with Selangor,” added the former national coach.
Sathianathan revealed that Ifedayo will start from the bench while Spaniard Rufino Segovia who missed a major part of the season last year has been shaping up well and scoring as well when he was fielded in Selangor’s recent friendly matches.
Segovia, however, is injury prone and will not be exerted in training and matches…he will be used wisely as the Red Giants want a winning start to the league and improve from their current sixth place with five points – the same as Sabah and Felda United but separated by goal difference.
Sathianathan played friendly matches against Penang (4-1), UKM (3-0), Negri Sembilan (3-0) Terengganu 2-0, and Kuala Lumpur (2-1). Segovia scored five times in the said friendlies.
After the match against PJ City, the Red Giants will travel to Kota Kinabalu to face Sabah on Sept 4 followed by a home match against Melaka United before the cruncher against six-time Super League champions Johor Darul Takzim away on Sept 19.
This will be followed by the match against UiTM on Sept 26 and a home match against Police on Oct 3. The 33-time Malaysia Cup champions complete their league fixtures against Felda United (home) on Oct 10.
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