The Turtles coach won’t take their Group C opponents lightly.
Terengganu head coach E. Elavarasan is convinced relegated Negri Sembilan will pose a huge threat to his side in their opening match of the Malaysia Cup.
Elavarasan takes his side into the tournament know they must reach the quarter-final stage to banish the disappointment of last year’s disappointing campaign, in which they finished bottom of their group.
But the 48-year-old is refusing to underestimate The Deers, despite their relegation from the Malaysia Super League last season, when they meet in the opening Group C match at Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium on Tuesday night.
“I do believe Negri players will push to the limit in the Malaysia Cup group matches with an eye on the quarterfinals,” he told Sports247. “With due respect to all teams, Terengganu are no different.
“Our match against Negri is important as we need to take our home ground advantage and put ourselves on track. We have six matches to play and we will take our first match as important as the remaining matches to advance.”
Terengganu are without suspended attacking midfielder Ismail Faruqi for the match and Elavarasan admits they will miss his presence in the final third..
“Ismail is a vital cog in the team and he will be missed,” the former international added. “We have worked out several other combinations to make up for Ismail’s absence to fill the gap.”
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