Sabah FC continued their strong form at home to seal a spot in the Piala FA Malaysia 2025/26 semi-finals, defeating Kelantan The Real Warriors FC 3–1 in the quarter-final second leg at the Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu.
Kelantan TRW entered the match needing a win to overturn Sabah’s slim 2–1 first-leg advantage. However, the home side made full use of the Likas atmosphere to defend their lead and secure their place in the final four.
It was a dream start for the Rhinos as Jafri Firdaus Chew opened the scoring in the 10th minute, finishing off a well-worked attacking move that left the visiting defence exposed.
Just 11 minutes later, Ajdin Mujagic doubled Sabah’s advantage with a powerful strike past Kelantan’s Bulgarian goalkeeper Damyan Damyanov, putting the hosts firmly in control.
Kelantan TRW, however, found a lifeline before halftime when Filipino defender Simen Lyngbø headed home from a corner in the 41st minute, reducing the deficit and keeping the East Coast side’s hopes alive.
At the start of the second half, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli made tactical changes, bringing on Asraf Aliffuddin Yasin and Abdul Sesay to inject fresh energy into Kelantan’s attack.
However, the adjustments failed to alter the rhythm of the game. Sabah continued to press and were rewarded in the 56th minute when Mujagic converted a penalty to make it 3–1, following a VAR review that confirmed Alexander Yeoule had handled the ball inside the box.
Despite Kelantan’s late efforts to close the gap, goalkeeper Damien Lim and the Sabah backline stood firm to ensure the score remained unchanged until full-time.
The result sends Sabah FC through to the FA Cup semi-finals with a commanding 5–2 aggregate victory, marking another milestone under head coach Datuk Ong Kim Swee.
The Rhinos will next face either Selangor FC or Negeri Sembilan FC in the semi-finals — a matchup that promises to test Sabah’s consistency and ambition for silverware this season.
Credit Photo : TRW
