Motika's thunderbolt freezes Cops and strikes a chord with Deer
Standing 25m out, the Bosnian winger unleashed a thunderbolt of a free-kick that ripped into the top corner and left even his own coach Nidzam Jamil in disbelief.
The goal didn't just open the scoring in Negri's 5-0 demolition of Police in their FA Cup round-of-16 first leg – it set the tone for a performance that Motika believes reflects a new chapter for the Deer.
'Before the free-kick, I talked to two players and they just said, 'shoot, you have the power.' I did that and honestly I couldn't believe it went in,' the 26-year-old said with a smile.
'That was a nice goal.'
From there, Negri never looked back. With Police reduced to 10 men after just 11 minutes, Motika doubled his tally in the 40th, finishing calmly off Takumi Sasaki's perfectly weighted pass.
Joseph Esso pounced soon after to make it 3-0 at half-time before Mio Tsuneyasu's dazzling solo run and Esso's second capped a commanding win.
While Motika's brace was the night's talking point, he deflected the spotlight from himself by crediting coach Nidzam for giving him a big opportunity.
'It was mostly because of him (Nidzam) that I wanted to come to Negri. His style suits me as it allows me to show my full potential and my strength. I'm happy here and a happy player is a good player.'
Motika's journey has been one of persistence and patience.
Since making his professional debut for Radnik Bijeljina in 2016, he has tested himself in Croatia with Bjelovar and in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur. But at Negri, he feels a sense of freedom and purpose.
'I adapted very quickly because I like the way we play,' he said.
'The coach and his staff prepare the team tactically at the highest level, so everything feels easier.
'You can already see this is a new Negri this season – a club that can play with everyone in the league and fight for the top.'
However, Motika insists the squad must stay grounded.
'I am proud of the boys but we have to be humble. We showed our potential today but we must keep working hard.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
7 hours ago
- Daily Express
An unexpected stroll for Rhinos
Published on: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 20, 2025 By: James Wong Text Size: Let's go out and focus on securing victory to bag our first maximum points in this new season to build momentum for the next home match against Melaka FC on August 29. SABAH FC thrashed Bunga Raya 6-0 in the first leg of the FA Cup round of 16 match played at Stadium Tunku Abdul Rahman, Paroi, Negeri Sembilan on Sunday. As expected, Sabah FC ran circles around the little-known opposition, who qualified for the tie from the A1 Semi-Pro League after finishing fourth last season. Advertisement It only took 10 minutes for Sabah FC to score the first goal through a header from Darren Lok off a cross from Daniel Ting. Fergus Tierney followed up with the second goal in the 19th minute from a delivery by Darren, and just before the interval, Miguel Cifuentes was brought down in the box. Subscribe or LOG IN to access this article. Support Independant Journalism Subscribe to Daily Express Malaysia Access to DE E-Paper Access to DE E-Paper Exclusive News Exclusive News Invites to special events Invites to special events Giveaways & Rewards 1-Year Most Popular (Income Tax Deductible) Explore Plans Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Olusegun's still blazing – veteran striker's vintage display lifts Red Warriors
On fire: Kelantan captain Ifedayo Olusegun celebrating after scoring against Kuala Lumpur at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium. — Bernama PETALING JAYA: Kelantan captain Ifedayo Olusegun rolled back the years with a classic poacher's display by scoring twice in the first 15 minutes to lead the Red Warriors to a 3-1 win over Kuala Lumpur in the FA Cup round-of-16 first-leg tie at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium on Monday. The Nigerian, fondly known as Dayo and who now holds Bahraini citizenship, struck in the fourth minute after pouncing on a wayward back pass from KL's Ukrainian defender Dimitro Lytvyn and slotting past goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad. Olusegun doubled his tally soon after, reacting quickest to Kammeraad's spill from T. Saravanan's volley to stab home from close range. Sean Selvaraj added Kelantan's third just after the hour mark before substitute Syamer Kutty Abba volleyed home a late lifeline for KL. For Olusegun, whose career in Malaysia has seen him feature for Felda United, Selangor, Melaka, Kedah and Police, the win was about more than just his goals. 'It's not just about my goals. It's about the improvement we've made as a team. Defensively, in midfield, going forward – there's more stability now compared to our first match against Kuching. That's why we could punish Kuala Lumpur,' said the 34-year-old attacker. Olusegun, the Super League's top scorer in 2020 and 2021 and third on the all-time chart with 90 goals, emphasised the importance of team chemistry in Kelantan's resurgence. 'The harmony in the squad is very good. We've only been together a few weeks but the dressing room is positive. 'The boys are really bonding, speaking with each other, working things out. It's a big family we are building here and that's important for us.' He admitted Kelantan's poor start to the Super League season, including a 0-4 thrashing by Kuching City, had been a test but one the players had embraced. 'Although we didn't start well, it hasn't broken our spirit. We are getting better each week. As captain, I don't have to do much to keep the team together – the players are already supporting each other. It's getting better and today's result shows that.' Looking ahead, Olusegun urged caution even as Kelantan take a two-goal cushion into the second leg. 'It's still too early to dream about titles or top-three finishes,' he stressed. 'Right now, it's about finding balance and building a proper team. Maybe later in the season we'll see how far we can go – maybe top four, top five, maybe even a cup final. But today, it's about improving game by game.' He also acknowledged the challenge of Kelantan's upcoming fixtures. 'Sabah, for example, are one of the best teams in the league these past two, three seasons. We respect that. We just want to be at our best and see where we can go. The important thing is to keep improving our tactical chemistry.'
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Motika's thunderbolt freezes Cops and strikes a chord with Deer
PETALING JAYA: It took Jovan Motika (pic) less than a minute to show why he feels right at home in Negri Sembilan colours. Standing 25m out, the Bosnian winger unleashed a thunderbolt of a free-kick that ripped into the top corner and left even his own coach Nidzam Jamil in disbelief. The goal didn't just open the scoring in Negri's 5-0 demolition of Police in their FA Cup round-of-16 first leg – it set the tone for a performance that Motika believes reflects a new chapter for the Deer. 'Before the free-kick, I talked to two players and they just said, 'shoot, you have the power.' I did that and honestly I couldn't believe it went in,' the 26-year-old said with a smile. 'That was a nice goal.' From there, Negri never looked back. With Police reduced to 10 men after just 11 minutes, Motika doubled his tally in the 40th, finishing calmly off Takumi Sasaki's perfectly weighted pass. Joseph Esso pounced soon after to make it 3-0 at half-time before Mio Tsuneyasu's dazzling solo run and Esso's second capped a commanding win. While Motika's brace was the night's talking point, he deflected the spotlight from himself by crediting coach Nidzam for giving him a big opportunity. 'It was mostly because of him (Nidzam) that I wanted to come to Negri. His style suits me as it allows me to show my full potential and my strength. I'm happy here and a happy player is a good player.' Motika's journey has been one of persistence and patience. Since making his professional debut for Radnik Bijeljina in 2016, he has tested himself in Croatia with Bjelovar and in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur. But at Negri, he feels a sense of freedom and purpose. 'I adapted very quickly because I like the way we play,' he said. 'The coach and his staff prepare the team tactically at the highest level, so everything feels easier. 'You can already see this is a new Negri this season – a club that can play with everyone in the league and fight for the top.' However, Motika insists the squad must stay grounded. 'I am proud of the boys but we have to be humble. We showed our potential today but we must keep working hard.'
