KUALA LUMPUR – Nidzam Jamil’s job is not over yet as he needs to regroup and prepare for Selangor FC’s campaign for the rest of the season, says Datuk K. Rajagopal.
The former national head coach, who is also a Selangor club legend, made these remarks after Nidzam’s team suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Johor Darul Ta’zim FC in the FA Cup final at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Saturday.
Nidzam, 45, who took charge as the Red Giants’ head coach in March this year, endured the worst defeat of his coaching career, marking the club’s heaviest loss in a tournament final in their 119-year history.
The defeat also sparked anger among Selangor fans on social media, with many calling for Nidzam, who spent most of his professional playing career at Selangor (1999-2004), to step down.
Speaking to Scoop, Rajagopal said it is normal for coaches to experience rough patches in their careers, but he believes Nidzam has been doing his best with the resources available.
“Things like this happen in football. Yes, it’s a big scoreline, and nobody expected the game to turn like it did after the first half. We must also acknowledge that JDT were very focused, disciplined and aggressive, and played with great intensity and the right mentality.
“Selangor started well in the first 13 minutes, but then they collapsed. The second half was a bit better after Alvin Fortes scored, but they conceded a quick third goal, and the rest was a different story.
“This was Nidzam’s heaviest defeat in his career, but the club are second in the Super League. As a coach, he certainly wouldn’t have expected this… it’s up to the management now, but he should be given more time to improve, regroup and focus on the next league matches. Why not aim for success in the Malaysia Cup?
“I can’t say it’s good progress for the club, but Nidzam is trying his best with the situations in front of him. I personally believe that his future with the club will depend on whether there is any improvement for the rest of the season,” said Rajagopal.
Meanwhile, former national goalkeeper Syed Adney Syed Hussein emphasised that Nidzam should work on making his players physically and mentally stronger if they hope to challenge their rivals in the ongoing Super League and Malaysia Cup.
“I thought Selangor put up a good fight in the final, but conceding so quickly after scoring in the second half must have hurt Nidzam. His players couldn’t recover physically or mentally, and JDT capitalised on that.
“Credit should be given to JDT, as we could clearly see the difference in quality between the two sides. They never took their foot off the pedal and kept going no matter what. They played excellent football and scored some amazing goals,” said Syed Adney, who played for the national team between 2007 and 2011.
Selangor currently rank second in the Super League table with 19 points. – August 27, 2024