Friday afternoon's 3-2 loss to Turan Tovuz was Sabah FK's first loss of the Misli Premier League season, and it begs the issues of the team's consistency and the effect of missing important players.

This defeat, on top of an already remarkable five-game winning streak, has shown a weakness that the squad must immediately fix if they are to keep their league-leading position.

Sabah FK gave up an early lead to Turan Tovuz on a goal by Henrique in the 27th minute of the match, which drew a large crowd.

Jô Batista extended the hosts' lead in the 30th minute, giving them a commanding two-goal lead to go into halftime.

Even though Aden McCarthy came on as a substitute for Bafana Bafana in the second half, the squad still lost 3-2.

In the 67th minute, Batista himself scored a brace to make it 3-0. Joy Lance Mickels scored a late consolation goal in the 70th minute.

Turan Tovuz held tight to seal the victory, despite a late goal by Xander Severina in the 87th minute reducing the deficit to one.

On Friday, Sabah FK's dependence on a formidable defensive unit, as shown in their earlier draw with Qarabağ FK, became evident.

Despite McCarthy's strong showing last week, the choice to bench him seems to have been a huge error in judgement.

Although the product of the Kaizer Chiefs academy provided a welcome burst of energy and an attacking threat, it was ultimately unable to mitigate the harm caused by Tovuz

The team's downfall came from their failure to capitalise on their early dominance and keep the midfield under control.

At the moment, Sabah FK has 20 points, which puts them in first place in the league. However, they face a big threat from Qarabağ FK, who are set to play on Saturday.

Qarabağ has the chance to depose Sabah as the league leaders if they win.

The Misli Premier League is a very competitive league, and this loss shows how quickly complacency can get you punished.

If Sabah FK wants to keep chasing the crown, they'll have to reevaluate their approach.

Source