KUCHING: Kuching City FC may have secured a commanding 6-0 win over Kuala Lumpur City FC, but head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak believes his side still has plenty to improve ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.
Aidil was pleased with the three points at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras on Wednesday night (Aug. 26), but admitted he was unhappy with certain moments of the performance, particularly their game management.
“I think the boys deserved the three points. They worked hard. The objective to come here was to get the three points, no matter what the outcome was going to go against us,” he said.
Kuching City took an early lead through Ajdin Mujagic in the fourth minute before Jerome Etame doubled the advantage in the 25th minute.
Etame struck twice shortly after the restart in the 48th and 52nd minutes, before Mujagic added his second in the 59th. Etame then completed his four-goal haul in stoppage time.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Aidil said his players needed to show greater maturity and intelligence when managing matches.
“We went aggressive in the first 20 minutes, then after that we started to slow down a little bit. We didn’t take advantage a lot.
“With the two goals that we took the lead, I’m still unhappy with some moments because we knew we could do better than that,” he told a post-match press conference.
He also stressed the need to avoid unnecessary mistakes, particularly against stronger opponents.
“To lose a man unnecessarily is not a good thing. We need to learn how to manage the game well when you are leading, when you are playing against 10 men and when you are 11 men.
“We need to be more mature, be smarter and improve from today’s game,” he said.
Aidil said he rotated his line-up to ensure some players were fresher and hungrier, while reminding the squad to focus on their own performance regardless of the opponent’s situation.
He added that his side needed more high-intensity matches to build fitness and rhythm ahead of their continental commitments.
The Singaporean tactician said competition for places would also be fierce, with 10 foreign players now in the squad, while the next few matches would help determine who was ready for the club’s AFC and Shopee Cup campaigns.
Kuching City will next face Kelantan Red Warrior FC away, with Aidil expecting another difficult test despite the confidence gained from the six-goal victory.
