Garrido points to physical toll after Sabah suffer loss to DPMM

Sabah head coach Juan Torres Garrido cited a demanding travel schedule and insufficient training time as contributing factors to his team's 2-1 loss to Brunei DPMM at Likas Stadium on Sunday. This marked the Rhinos' third consecutive defeat, following setbacks to Kuching City and Selangor. Garrido expressed concern over the physical toll the intense fixture list had taken on his squad, noting that they had little time to address their mistakes on the training ground.

"We couldn't train almost for two and a half weeks because we were playing and travelling and playing again," Garrido remarked. The Spaniard acknowledged that the pre-season preparation had been effective, but the current schedule made it difficult to adapt to the high standards set by top-tier opponents. After the halftime break, Sabah recovered from an early setback to level the score, but their energy levels significantly diminished in the second half.

Garrido admitted, "We're not happy. I think we started properly, we conceded a goal that we shouldn't have. After being quite tired after the last two weeks, still in the first half the team had energy, kept on attacking, and we got the equalizer. And in the second half, we didn't play a good game." DPMM coach Jamie McAllister conceded that his tactical approach aimed to exploit Sabah's weaknesses by using low full-backs to isolate his wingers against the Rhinos' outside centre-backs.

He praised his team's character and discipline, stating, "We were oozing character and oozing mentality tonight. Away from home, a really, really professional performance." Ebenezer Abban and Jordan Murray scored for DPMM, while Gonzalo Di Renzo netted the lone goal for Sabah, resulting in a 2-1 victory for DPMM.