On track but T-Team is wary

Kuala Terengganu: On Monday night T-Team defeated Singapore's Tampines Rovers in the club's final pre-season friendly.

Fans didn't get to see Samassa as he was slightly injured

But to the coaches, results in friendly matches don't really matter.

Coach Rahmad Darmawan says, " So far everything is on track. However we cannot be complacent with pre-season's results. Real matches will be different."

His assistant, Azhari Salim, concurs, adding " The result is no that important. However, players' compatibility and teamwork were demonstrated in the game." Indeed Rahmad also hopes that his players will be able to play just like in their friendlies - motivated and enjoyment side by side - in their first match on Saturday.


T-Team scored first from a Maiga's header. But it conceded a soft goal for Tampines to draw level during the first half's injury time. Takhiyuddin made it 2-1 for T-Team in the second after virtually all the first eleven players were substituted. half It is understood that in their recent friendlies, Tampines won over Terengganu 2-1 but lost to Pahang 1-4.




 

Samassa is T-Team's choice - Rahmad Dharmawan

Kuala Terengganu: Head coach Rahmad Dharmawan has confirmed that Mamadou Samassa is the club's fourth import player.

He says although Samassa and the other player from Uzbek, Shavkat Salamov, have the same quality, the team has opted for Samassa because he can play in two positions - as an attaking midfielder and a striker.

It is understood that he could form an effective understanding with Dilshod (defensive midfielder), and Farhod Tadjiyev (striker).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEW6JutOsJE 

Tricky decision for T-Team

Kuala Lumpur: After chalking up a decent pre-season performance in Kuantan and Klang Valley which ended  today, it is now  five days of crunch time for T-Team. Exactly seventeen days before the start of the 2017 Malaysian Super League season,  they have to defer making a crucial decision on their fourth import player.

Undoubtedly it is not an easy call. 

Rahmad: Both have good points

T-Team's Indonesian Head Coach, Rahmad Darmawan, explains: "Both Shavkat (Salamov) and Mamadou (Samassa) have good points with different playing styles. As such we cannot decide now. We have thus asked them to continue following us until 9 January." 

He adds, "Our criteria include the player's versatility to play as attacking midfileder, second striker or striker. Ultimately it will be a question of who the team needs more." 

Initially they were almost certain of signing up Shavkat to replace influential but injured Malian midfielder, Makan Konate. However soon they were also presented with the opportunity of assessing Mamadou, Malian former French Under-21 player, as a potential second import striker. Therefore their ten-day pre-season friendly games had become the perfect opportunity for the Kuala Terengganu based club to assess who would likely be the best option for the team.


The recent friendly games' results:

1.  27 Dec: Kuantan FA (1) vs T-Team (1)
2.  29 Dec: PDRM (1) vs T-Team (2)
3. 2 Jan: ATM (1) vs  T-Team (3)
4. 3 Jan: Sime Darby (0) vs T-Team (2)
5. 4 Jan: Felda United (2) vs T-Team (3)

For one thing, Uzbek striker Farhod Tadjiyev seems to be as deadly as before he was being forced out by injury, in his first season with the club midway in 2015 - scoring a few goals in the recent friendlies.

On the friendly games, Rahmad Darmawan, who decided to stay with T-Team for the second season, says: "I am very pleased to see the back-up team playing well with commendable scheme of play." While teamwork is progressing well with good individual performance, he says there are still areas for improvement .  

He cites two reasons for staying with T-Team.

First, the head coach loves Terengganu. Second, he has been given a target which is to better last season's performance commensurate with budget and quality players. 

          

T-Team to sign Farhod Tadjiyev , Shavkat Salomov?

Kuala Terengganu: Informed sources reveal to BolaPantaiTimur that T-Team will most likely sign former Uzbek forward Farhod Tadjiyev for the second time and attacking midfielder Shavkat Salomov to beef up their challenge for honours next season.

                                                      Farhod: Making a comeback? 
                                                            Photo credit: 90minit.com
                                       

                                         Shavkat: Likely replacement for Makan Konate 
                                                   Photo credit: http://www.footballtop.ru

Farhod was the club's star striker in 2015 before injury forced him out. Indeed at one point, just before his injury, he was among a few Malaysia-based foreign players who were named to join the Malaysian Invitation team in a high-profile international friendly in Kuala Lumpur.

Says one of the sources: " Farhod is injury-free. His fitness is also sound as he had played in Uzbekistan after leaving T-Team." He adds that Shavkat who is already in Kuala Terengganu, will replace injured Makan Konate. Countryman Maiga from Mali, a central defender and Uzbek's defensive midfielder, Dilshod Sharofetdinov, will make up the rest of the import players as they will feature for the team in their second season.  

For the record, Farhod and Dilshod used to play together in Uzbek Div. 1 Club, Pakhtakor.

Having quality import players is crucial for T-Team as many of its local players, including last season's most promising young player, Safawi Rasid, have joined other clubs for the new season. The club's  2016 President Cuppers have been roped in as replacements.

T-Team were in Indonesia recently where they won twice and drew once against lesser local teams in their friendly games. Still under Indonesian head coach, Rahmad Darmawan and his coaching staff for the second consecutive season, they will be in KL for ten days for their next series of pre-season friendly games.  

 

T-Team run amok

With their own position hotly challenged by Penang at the tail end of Premier League 2015, last night T-Team routed basement team, Putrajaya SPA, 7-0 at Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium.

Man of the match, Tomislav Busic, made it a great night for his team with five goals to his credit, while the remaining two goals came from Sadriddin Abdullaev and Muhamad Zulhanizam.

T-Team are now second behind Kedah in the Premier League standings, sharing the same 42 points with Penang, but with superior goal difference (24 goals versus Penang's 19 goals).

Having warned his players they could lose by 5 to 8 goals, Ken Worden, Putrajaya SPA head coach says they came to Kuala Terengganu with a depleted side. 

The Kuala Terengganu-based club will end the Premier League campaign with an away game against Kuantan FA. Head coach Tomislav Steinbruckner notes, "We will take our bigger goal difference and give our best shot in Kuantan this Friday."

T-Team had been leading the Premier League standings for a long time until the recent demise of former captain, David Oniya, and injury to hot-shot striker Farhod Tadjiyev, have somewhat rattled the team lately. It will be a cruel anti-climax if they do not finish the league at least in the second position this season.         

T-Team gets FAM's nod

The FAM competitions committee which met today has given T-Team the green light to get a new import player following the sudden demise of former captain David Oniya. 

However according to a club's official, the player has to be a fresh one - somebody who has not played in the M-League before or if he has played, he must have completed at least one year after his registration.

T-Team head coach Tomislav Steinbruckner reveals to BolaPantaiTimur the club is currently considering two candidates - either Croatian Tomislav Mazalovic or an Uzbek player which he declines to name.