PETALING JAYA: Five games in 16 days but it’s not a problem for Kedah.

Head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak has hailed his tireless players as great fighters when they shrugged off fatigue to beat Perak 1-0 at the Darulaman Stadium on Saturday to climb up to the second spot in the Super League.

Thanks to Liberian hotshot Kpah Sherman’s 20th minute header, the Red Eagles have now amassed 38 points from 19 matches to put them on course to retain their runners-up finish and qualify for the AFC Cup.

They hold a one-point lead over third-placed Terengganu and four more than fourth-placed Penang, with still a game in hand.

“All credit goes to the players who have worked very, very hard because playing five games in a short period is not easy,” said Aidil.

“We’ve just travelled back after the away game against PJ City (on Wednesday night). The team managed only one day recovery session and we didn’t even have time to train.

“Despite feeling fatigued, the boys gave absolutely everything to secure the three points.”

Kedah will be back on the road for their next match with Pahang in Kuantan on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Kuala Lumpur three days later to take their total game to a whopping seven in 23 days.

But Aidil has no complaints on the fixture congestion.

“As professionals, we should not make that (tight schedule) as an excuse,” he stressed.

“All we need to do is to take good care of the players and cope with it. The team must come up with a good recovery approach to help players return fresher for the next game.

“We also have to look back at our squad’s chart and do the necessary changes if needed to bring in the fresh legs.”

Kedah had to deal with fixture congestion after starting their campaign late when the league resumed after the international break.

While most teams started playing on July 24, Kedah could only play their first game on Aug 13 as the team had to undergo quarantine after several members were tested positive for Covid-19.

With poor preparation, Kedah marked their return with a 4-2 defeat to Selangor.

But Aidil’s side bounced back strongly with four straight wins including the crucial ones over Penang 4-1, Terengganu 2-1, and PJ City 4-1.