KUALA LUMPUR: Kuching City FC are not travelling to the Malaysia Cup final merely to participate, with head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak insisting his side are ready to give everything against favourites Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
Speaking ahead of the club’s historic debut in the Malaysia Cup final, Aidil said belief, composure and hard work would be crucial if the Cats are to rise to the occasion on Malaysian football’s biggest stage.
“I always trust the players. I think the boys are very excited. I hope they are not too excited and make many mistakes, especially in the first 15 to 20 minutes.
“It is very important to settle down because of the new atmosphere and the pressure,” he told a press conference at Bukit Jalil National Stadium today (May 22).
Aidil said despite the magnitude of the occasion, he believes his players will embrace the challenge and give everything for the club and supporters.
“But I believe the boys will give their best and this is very important. When they are hungry, hopefully they can work double hard,” he added.
The Singaporean tactician stressed that reaching the final and finishing second in the Super League were rewards earned through determination and consistency throughout the season.
“This is not always given. It is all about hard work. In this final, you must take your chance and put in all the work you have. We want to show why we deserve to be second in the league, why we deserve to be in the final, and why we deserve to be the best here,” he said.
Aidil also reminded his players to enjoy the occasion despite the pressure surrounding the final.
“The most important thing is to enjoy the football,” he said. “Football is all about belief.”
While acknowledging that some factors in football are beyond control, Aidil made it clear that Kuching City are not heading into the final simply happy to be there.
“We are not coming here just to participate. We come here to give our best,” he stressed.
He added that the team are determined not to disappoint the travelling supporters who made the journey to witness the club’s first Malaysia Cup final appearance.
“We don’t want to let down our fans who have flown over to come here to watch the game. So, as I said, it is all about hard work and we have to push ourselves to the maximum and give our best,” he said.
Kuching will play JDT tomorrow, Saturday (May 23), at 9:00 pm.
