LUMUT, Sept 15 — Sabah and Kedah confirmed their places in the semi-finals of the 2018 Malaysia Games (Sukma) football event after each beat their opponents in their first quarter-final action, today.
Kedah qualified after beating Melaka 2-1 at the Manjung Municipal Council Stadium (MPM) while Sabah beat Pahang in a penalty shoot-out at the Royal Malaysian Navy Stadium (RMN) here, this evening.
At MPM, Melaka first scored through Muhammad Izreen Izwandy in extra time before the break.
In the second half, Kedah doubled its attack on the Melaka defence but all efforts failed to bear fruit.
Ahmad Firdaus Ismail scored in the 89th minute to drag the game into extra time and Aminuddin Abu Bakar emerged as Kedah’s hero when he scored the winning goal via a penalty kick in the 116th minute.
The match between Sabah and Pahang saw the Sabah team had to really struggle before ensuring that the semi-final ticket was theirs.
The match was dragged into a penalty shootout when both teams were tied 3-3 after the game extended to extra time. Sabah managed to beat Pahang 7-6. — Bernaa
