Turtles to unleash Ismail, Mario

Kuala Terengganu: Smarting from last night's 0-1 Super League away defeat to Perak, Terengganu are counting on the return of influential but suspended Ismail Faruqi and the maiden debut by import midfielder Mario Karlovic in the next game.

Mario as a spectator

 A team source informs Bola Pantai Timur, " In shaa Allah Ismail and Mario will join the rest. It will give us more options in the midfield department to vary our pattern of play." Mario has been recovering from an arthroscopic knee surgery while Ismail has just ended his three-match suspension. Mario, who was the first among the three new imports recruited by Terengganu for 2014, could be seen warming up with the Terengganu players before their recent FA Cup match against Shahzan Muda. 

On last night's game, he notes," Perak is a good team as proven in their earlier two competitive matches against JDT and Pahang. We didn't go there for a draw as we were hunting for three full points. But Perak took their chances well." Perak's goal came from a corner kick in the 92nd minute. However it is understood that during the match, Turtles had at least three clear chances which its players failed to capitalize on.

Head coach Abdul Rahman Ibrahim stresses that wasting open chances is a costly mistake."This is football. When you got the opportunity, you didn't score. Although it was a 50-50 game, we had more goal chances, including three clear open goals. But that was it."

Even so, Terengganu players are said to have exhibited a spirited performance in every game.

That is important because the next game will be a keenly contested duel between two Terengganu brother teams. Titans are naturally buoyed by last night's slim 1-0 win against elite JDT at home.  As T-Team's head coach puts it, " It marks the beginning of our further development." On Terengganu, he says," We know each other very well. But it will be tough. They are one of the best teams this season."