KUALA LUMPUR: Coach Ong Kim Swee warned his Sabah players not to take things for granted despite being in the driver's seat for a spot in the second round of the AFC Cup after a 4-1 victory over Vietnam's Hai Phong on Thursday.
The Rhinos currently lead Group H with nine points, making them favourites to advance to the next stage of the competition.
At the Likas Stadium in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday, Sabah scored through Daniel Ting (20th minute), Darren Lok (34th), Gabriel Peres (70th) and Jafri Chew Firdaus (90th), while Yuri Almeida (85th) replied for Hai Phong. However, Kim Swee stressed the importance of maintaining focus in the upcoming matches against Indonesia's PSM Makassar and Singapore's Hougang United, both vying for progression.
"We are in a good position after earning three points from this match, but we still have two more games to go.
"We cannot take Makassar and Hougang lightly, as they too want to reach the second round. I have to ensure that everyone maintains discipline and performs well during matches," said Kim Swee.
Sabah have an impressive record in the AFC Cup, scoring 14 goals and conceding just five in their last four group matches.
In the Super League, the Rhinos are fifth with 42 points and still have a realistic chance of finishing top three in the competition.
However, Kim Swee faces the challenge of reshuffling the lineup for the league game against Kelantan on Nov 20, with key players Dominic Tan, Darren Lok, and Stuart Wilkin on international duty until Nov 22.
"If we look at the schedule, we will play Kelantan during the Fifa dates. Our three players will only return from Taiwan on Nov 22," he said.
After Kelantan, Kim Swee's side will face Terengganu on Nov 24, followed by an AFC Cup match against Hougang six days later.
