Sabah FA won the Cup final 2-1 against Zira, but the raw scoreline disguises a contest that required a dramatic late turnaround. The Lemeister model had made Sabah FA slight favourites with a 39 per cent win probability, projecting a 1-0 victory, but the reality was far more arduous, with the deciding goal arriving in the 90th minute.
Zira struck first and early. E. Aydin opened the scoring in the 4th minute, giving his side a lead they would hold for the majority of the match. The early goal was a statement of intent from a team that, according to the model, had only a 30 per cent chance of winning. The immediate response from Zira was to protect their advantage, and they did so with discipline, though the midfielder Q. Aliyev was cautioned as early as the 2nd minute for a challenge before the goal had even been scored.
The first half offered little statistical evidence of a Sabah FA fightback. If possession and shot data were available, they would likely have shown a side struggling to carve out clear opportunities against a well-organised Zira defence. The half ended with the score still 1-0, and Sabah FA faced a growing sense of urgency as the second period wore on.
The match began to shift in the second half, but not through a flurry of Sabah FA chances. Instead, the game became increasingly fractured by yellow cards. Zira’s I. Gomis was booked in the 53rd minute, followed by Sabah FA’s A. Malouda in the 57th and S. Solvet in the 66th. The five yellow cards shown across the match (three to Zira, two to Sabah FA) indicated a contest that was high in physical commitment and low in flowing football.
The breakthrough for Sabah FA finally arrived in the 70th minute. O. Mbina scored the equaliser, a goal that reset the contest and injected belief into a side that had been chasing the game for over an hour. The goal energised the Sabah FA supporters and forced Zira into a more defensive posture, as they now sought to take the match to extra time. Zira’s A. Mutsinzi was booked in the 76th minute, a sign of the increasing pressure they were under.
The decisive moment came in the 90th minute. J. Mickels scored what proved to be the winner, completing the turnaround in the final minute of regular time. It was a cruel blow for Zira, who had defended valiantly for 86 minutes after their early lead, but the result was a testament to Sabah FA’s persistence and ability to strike when it mattered most. Sabah FA’s K. Parris was booked in the 96th minute, a final act of defiance from the victors as they closed out the match.
The victory secures the Cup for Sabah FA, a reward for their resilience and their ability to overturn a deficit when the odds, as the model suggested, were narrowly against them. For Zira, the defeat will be deeply felt, having led for so long and having come within a minute of forcing extra time. The final was defined not by a dominant performance from either side, but by Sabah FA’s two decisive strikes when opportunities presented themselves.
