KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC head coach Nidzam Jamil admits his side struggled to find their rhythm in their opening Super League match against Kedah FC on Saturday.
The Red Giants overcame the Canaries 1-0 at the MBPJ Stadium, courtesy of Aliff Haiqal’s 75th-minute goal.
Before their Super League opener, Selangor played a handful of friendlies and also competed in the Selangor Asia Challenge, a pre-season tournament where they emerged as champions.
However, they withdrew from the Charity Shield against Johor Darul Ta’zim, resulting in a 3-0 win being awarded to JDT.
Speaking to Scoop, Nidzam acknowledged the difference in intensity between the Super League and friendly matches, expressing satisfaction that his 4-1-4-1 formation helped them overcome a resilient Kedah side.
He also commended Kedah for their strong performance.
“I won’t say that we should have scored more goals because Kedah gave us a very good fight from start to finish. On top of that, they are a really good team, finishing strong (fourth) in the Super League last season.
“As we didn’t play our first match, the game tempo was different for us. Friendly games and tournaments don’t match the intensity of the Super League. But winning 1-0, getting three points and not conceding any goals is a good start for our campaign.
“There is no huge secret with my 4-1-4-1 formation. I put Afro (Sharul Nazeem) at right-back to counter the threat posed by Sony Nordé, and Nooa Laine in right midfield to monitor Syafiq Ahmad’s floating position.
“If our centre-backs jumped too much, it would have been a problem, and if they didn’t, the opponents would be free to attack. That’s why I opted for the formation to make sure that we could man-mark Kedah’s players,” said Nidzam when contacted.
Nidzam also admitted missing key-player Faisal Halim, due to injuries from an acid attack on May 5, which left the forward with severe burns.
After undergoing multiple surgeries and a skin transplant, Faisal is now stable and recovering in a general ward.
“All the players put up a great performance. Nooa played a crucial role in neutralising our opponents. We missed Mickey (Faisal) in breaking through their defence, but Mukhairi Ajmal stepped up effectively, (who along with) the substitutes that came in the second half, (helped in) raising the tempo, (which) led to our goal.
“Our Jordanian players, Reziq Bani Hani and Noor Al-Rawabdeh, also had a great game. Reziq offers power and strength, and he’s a very comfortable right-footer who can play on the left. I’m not saying that he will be the right person to fill Mickey’s shoes, but he’s a great option for us on the flanks.
“According to our data, Noor covered the most ground, about 11 to 12km. Beyond that, I’m happy that his form is still the same as it was during the Asian Cup with Jordan. I hope to see him maintain his momentum for the rest of the season.
“I was also happy to see our goalkeeper Samuel Somerville showing up with his calm control of the backline,” said Nidzam.
Selangor currently rank seventh in the Super League table, with three points from two games. – May 20, 2024
