Kedah got the luck of of the draw when they got to face Felda instead of teams who are on paper, far stronger opponents in Pahang and Perak. The Red Eagles are heavy favourites to reach their second FA Cup final in three years and will have a chance to take the first step with the home first leg on Saturday.
Aidil Shahrin's boys are in a triumphant mood having edged out PKNS FC 2-3 in last Tuesday's Super League match and will be welcoming bottom place side Felda in tomorrow's encounter. Kedah have already beaten Felda once at home this season, handing The Fighters a 4-0 hammering back in February.
New signing Edgar Bernhardt is developing a fine understanding with Baddrol Bakhtiar at the heart of Kedah's midfield and they will be depended upon to manage the game for the home side. However throwing caution to the wind, Aidil is keen to suggest that the tie is not as clear cut as some would think.
"The semi-final is a different game altogether and we are only asking for trouble if we are over-confident. Which is why I've advised the players to maintain their focus throughout the 90 minutes because it will be a tough game. Felda have players who can put pressure on us in counter attacks if we cannot control the game.
TFC
"I'm hopeful to have all players available with the doubts on Azzamudin Akil and Farhan Roslan who missed the previous game on Tuesday. We must use the home advantage as best as we can," said Aidil in an interview published on Berita Harian.
To make Kedah's task easier, Felda will be missing key defensive duo in Thiago Aquino and Masaki Watanabe due to suspension, both of whom are the first choice centre backs for Nidzam Jamil's team. To add insult to injury, a third import player in Singaporean Khairul Amri is also likely to miss out the game in Alor Setar due to an injury.
A lot will rely on the likes of Jonathan Bauman and Fernando Rodriguez to find the goals to give Kedah a comfortable lead to take to the second leg in Jengka next week but as Aidil found out in the PKNS game, he can also rely on the lesser known individuals like Fayadh Zulkifli to find the back of the net.
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