ABDB all set for 'battle'
By Dannie Abu Basrah

ABDB players all fired up for the FA Cup final. - Photo: Dannie Abu Basrah

Defending champions ABDB will be firing on all cylinders when they set out to defend their title in the 2004 FA Cup final against DPMM FC at the JBS field on Saturday night.

For the army boys, this will be their third successive appearance in the cup final since its introduction in 2002.

Team coach, Nordin Tujoh believes that his players have got what it takes to win the cup again where previous final appearances have helped a lot in calming down nerves and keeping players' minds focused for the main objective - to win the cup back-to-back.

But ABDB will be missing a few of their key players who are still doubtful for the clash due to injuries such as midfield playmaker Noormasaidiarwan Mohd Saini and goal poacher Dahari Hj Md Yussof.

"Despite the loss, they are not much distracted and are still in a good position." said Nordin Tujoh. "The team spirit showcased by players at their training ground is nothing more but excellent."

Fitness is the main success factor for the ABDB team as expressed by Nordin Tujoh emphasising more on that during training sessions, where in his point of view fitness is everything to a footballer and is the key to a team's good performance.

The coach also said that apart from fitness, the team has also been training hard on their tactical game, such as counter-attacks and set-pieces which sometimes could determine the outcome of a match, hence proving costly especially in games such as the cup final environment where nothing could be taken for granted.

A few players that have been highlighted by the coach for the clash is midfield player AK Mohd Safri Pg Hj Othman, rising star striker Budiman Jumat, versatile national defender Suhaime Hj Mohd Yussof and certainly not forgetting last seasons "Player of the Year" and "Man of the Match" for the 2003 FA Cup final, Saipul Rizal Abdullah.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin