KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC head coach Nidzam Jamil is prepared to collaborate with a foreign coach to lead his team to success in this season’s Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) tournament.
The 43-year-old assumed the head coach role last week, after Tan Cheng Hoe’s sudden departure to Police Tero FC, a club competing in Thailand’s top division.
Under Cheng Hoe’s leadership, Selangor FC clinched second place in the Malaysia Super League last season with 61 points, securing qualification for the upcoming ACL2 group stage.
Nidzam, who joined the Red Giants as an assistant coach in 2022 under German coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, is currently seeking two assistant coaches.
Speaking to Scoop, Nidzam said that the coaches he seeks should share the same wavelength as him to maximise his charges’s potential.
“I’m currently looking for both a local and a foreign coach to support me. We have already begun receiving applications.
“The reason why I’m also looking for a foreign coach is that most of them have experience coaching many teams that have participated in Asian-level tournaments. Having an experienced coach will help us gather better data and analysis when we participate in ACL2.
“I’m not saying that foreign coaches are the best, but we can make use of their expertise. I’m also looking for a local coach to impart the knowledge I have gained over the years within the club.
“I can’t reveal the candidate list for now, but I will be reviewing the candidates who have applied for the job in the days to come. The club will make a formal announcement in 10 days,” said Nidzam when contacted.
Nidzam, a former national footballer, spent the majority of his professional career at Selangor FC (1999-2004) and also turned out for PKNS FC (2005-2006), Negeri Sembilan FC (2006-2007), and Proton FC (2007-2008) in the Super League.
Following injuries and multiple ankle and knee operations, he decided to hang up his boots at the age of 28 and transition to coaching.
The Red Giants have been active on the transfer market, acquiring players like Nooa Laine (national player), Umarbek Eshmurodov (Uzbekistan), Ronnie Fernandez (Chile), and Azim Al Amin (national U-23 player) ahead of the upcoming Super League season, slated to kick off in May this year. – March 26, 2024