Croatia's Mirko Grabovac and Nenad Bacina Lead Warriors in Singapore
Barry Marjanovich
2000-05-06
Warriors win, but Fandi frowns again
By GERARD WONG
SINGAPORE Armed Forces FC may have won
again to keep its place on top of the table.
But for the third straight week, Warriors' coach Fandi
Ahmad carried a weary frown on his face as he
headed straight for the dressing room.
And who could blame him for looking so
despondent?
Pre-season title favourite SAFFC may have beaten
Sembawang Rangers 2-0 at the Yishun Stadium last
night. But once again, the football that the Warriors
dished out was not the stuff expected of would-be
champions. More than anything else, last night's
display showed how the Warriors have become
increasingly dependent on lethal Croatian striker
Mirko Grabovac.
Without Grabovac last week, SAFFC was practically
toothless in attack as it laboured to a 1-0 home win
over Woodlands Wellington, the winner coming from
defender Nenad Bacina.
With Grabovac on last night, the difference was so
clear. There was more purpose in its attack and every
move reeked of danger.
That was because the Man of the Match was always
in the thick of action as he jostled for every ball,
snapped at the heels of the Sembawang backline and
took shots at goal.
One of them even went in -- off his head -- to give
SAFFC a 24th-minute lead. Another three could
have gone in had goalkeeper Noorisham Zainol not
been in such good form.
But there was only one problem: Grabovac was not
fully fit.
Struggling with a hamstring injury, he had to pass a
late fitness test to be cleared to play, and played with
a heavily-strapped left thigh.
He admitted after the match: "To be honest, I was
only 50 per cent fit tonight because I was quite scared
of making my injury worse. But I gave 100 per cent."
Said Fandi of his gamble with an injured player:
"Sometimes, it worries me how much we've come to
depend on Mirko.
"That's why I have been giving my younger strikers
like Zahid Ahmad and Zainal Zainuddin more playing
time. We need a solution to this problem. The sooner
we find it, the better."
Yes, they had better because Grabovac's strike
partner, young Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin was once
again firing blanks.
One solution may be ex-Sembawang Rangers striker
Nor Alam Shah, who came in as a 53rd-minute
substitute for Latiff and proceeded to score a
delightful 92nd-minute header from Nazri Nasir's
sweet chip.
It was a bittersweet experience for Stallions' coach
Chiang Boon Seng to watch his former trainee scoring
once again.
"But that's football. You play for the club whose
jersey you wear," he said with a sigh.
Z
This one HAS to win the prize for most obscure footballing achievement
mentioned by Barry. It has to ! What next?
Croatian Child Bounces Ball From Foot To Foot At Age 5
Z.