Sabah FC and Negeri Sembilan FC played out a gritty 1-1 draw in the Liga Super Malaysia 2025/26 at Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium, Paroi.
With Garrido taking the permanent reigns for the Rhinos and K. Rajan stepping in as interim boss for the Deers, both sides were hungry to kickstart a new era with three points. Instead, they shared the spoils in a high-intensity encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Sabah started the brighter of the two, unleashing the attacking quartet of Darren Lok, Chris Marlon Ondong-Mba, Fergus Tierney, and Farhan Roslan. However, the Japanese wall, Kei Oshiro, proved nearly impossible to breach in the early stages.
The Likas crowd held their breath when Harimau Malaya striker Darren Lok took a heavy tumble into the pitch-side wall following a challenge from Amirul Adli Azmi. Thankfully, after some medical attention, the talismanic forward shook it off and returned to the fray.
Despite Sabah’s pressure, it was the visitors who struck first:
Jovan Motika silenced the home fans with a thunderous strike that left Damien Lim rooted to the spot. 1-0 to the Jang!
Refusing to let his debut as permanent head coach end in defeat, Garrido rolled the dice in the second half. Seeking more “bite” in the final third, he introduced S. Kumaahran for Farhan Roslan—and the impact was instantaneous.
In the 60th minute, Kumaahran justified his coach’s faith, pouncing on an opportunity to slot home the leveler and send the Likas faithful into a frenzy.
The results left the visitors still desperately hunting for their first league victory of 2026.
Credit Photo : NSFC
