KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed coach Martin Stano will give his Sabah players a much-needed break after advancing to the Malaysia Cup semi-finals on Monday.
The Rhinos drew 0-0 with Kuching City in the second leg of their quarter-final clash at Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu, progressing with a 1-0 aggregate victory. They will face Sri Pahang in the semi-finals.
Slovakian coach Stano said his players, particularly those who represented Harimau Malaya in the Asean Cup, are tired after balancing club and national team commitments.
Stano took over as Sabah coach on Dec 10 following the resignation of Ong Kim Swee, who joined Indonesian club Persis Solo.
"Football coaches come and go, it's part of the game," said the 47-year-old.
"I hope to build on Kim Swee's good work and help Sabah achieve their goals.
"We'll take a short holiday because everyone, especially the national team players, needs some rest.
"The team will return to training on Dec 29 to prepare for our Super League match against Johor Darul Ta'zim on Jan 11."
On the match against Kuching City, Stano said: "We expected a tough game. Despite winning 1-0 in the first leg, we didn't consider it an advantage.
"The first half was evenly matched, with both teams creating opportunities. In the second half, we lost focus and dropped off slightly, but we managed to hold on to our lead from the first leg and advancing to the semi-finals."