ISKANDAR PUTERI: Kuching City FC head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak chose to focus on the lessons rather than the scoreline after his side’s 3–0 defeat to Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in the Charity Shield on Friday (Aug 21).
The defeat at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium handed JDT the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Cup, but Aidil said the match also exposed areas his side must improve ahead of the Malaysia Super League campaign.
“We came here knowing it was not going to be easy. Certain players were unavailable, while some key players did not complete pre-season with us,” he said after the match.
Aidil refused to use those setbacks as excuses, instead praising the commitment shown by his players against the reigning champions.
“The result is another matter. The most important thing is that the players gave a good performance. I’m pleased with several of them, especially Ryan Lambert, Gabriel Perez and our local player Gabriel Nistelrooy,” he said.
The Singaporean coach admitted Kuching City lacked the high-intensity preparation needed for a fixture of this magnitude.
Several key players missed parts of the club’s 14-day pre-season camp in Chiang Mai, while renovation work at the team’s home ground also limited opportunities to arrange competitive friendlies.
“We needed more high-intensity games before facing a team like JDT. You can see JDT went to Spain and played strong opposition. Unfortunately, we didn’t have that, but we have to move on and prepare for Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Aidil also indicated the squad still requires strengthening, particularly in attack, with players such as Nazmi Faiz and Safawi Rasid expected to add greater creativity once available.
Kuching City will now shift their attention to back-to-back away league fixtures against Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan.
Aidil also acknowledged JDT’s growing strength following the additions of Bergson da Silva, Shane Lowry and Manuel Hidalgo.
“They are getting better, and definitely it is a big booster for JDT,” he said.
