KUCHING: Aidil Sharin Sahak has downplayed expectations on Kuching City FC, insisting Selangor remain the stronger side ahead of their Malaysia Cup semi-final second leg.
The Kuching City head coach said his team have no reason to feel burdened by pressure, pointing to Selangor’s superior budget and squad depth.
Selangor, the 33-time Malaysia Cup winners, last lifted the trophy in 2015 after a 2-0 victory over Kedah at the Shah Alam Stadium.
“The bigger team is Selangor in terms of budget and players, so why should we feel the pressure?” Aidil said in a press conference after his side earned a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Petaling Jaya Stadium last night (Apr 5).
He added that his players showed strong commitment and discipline throughout the match, particularly in the first half, as they managed to contain Selangor’s attacking threats and stick closely to the game plan.
“I think the boys worked very hard tonight. It’s not easy to play against Selangor when they are at home. Nobody can expect us to win this game,” he said.
Aidil said Kuching City had, in his view, matched their opponents for large portions of the match and even felt they had done enough to take more from the game.
“I think the boys proved it tonight. We upset them, and I think we deserved to win. But this is football; we have to accept it,” he added.
The match saw Kuching City take the lead in the 42nd minute through a Ronald Ngah penalty, before Selangor equalised deep into injury time via Chrigor Moraes.
Aidil admitted that a brief lapse in concentration proved costly but refused to single out any individual for blame.
“It’s just that we were a little bit switched off for one moment. But this happens in football. Every player makes mistakes. I can’t blame any of them,” he said.
Aidil then emphasised the importance of recovery and confidence-building, with a league fixture against PDRM FC scheduled on Apr 12 before the return leg.
“We still have a league game next week to get back confidence, then we play them at home. We will try to do better in the second leg,” he said.
He added that his side would continue to grow as a relatively new team in the league, pointing to their progress over the past two seasons.
“Kuching is still growing. In two years, where we are now is incredible. We are improving every game,” he said.
