logo
Aidil still roaring strong with Kuching

Aidil still roaring strong with Kuching

The Star01-07-2025
Going nowhere: Aidil Sharin (centre) interacting with his coaching staff during a friendly game. – Kuching City FC
PETALING JAYA: Forget the Singapore talk as successful football head coach Aidil Sharin is staying put with Kuching City for the new Super League.
This was the assurance given by club owner Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman amidst rumours that Aidil may be the next coach of the Singapore national football team.
Fazzrudin affirmed that Aidil is committed to the Sarawak-based side.
'Aidil was given full power to run the team. He is happy and committed to Kuching City. That is all I can say,' said Fazzrudin.
Under Aidil's leadership, Kuching City have quietly built a competitive squad and are seen as a side capable to give others a run for their money.
The club have completed the bulk of their recruitment, with striker Ronald Ngah from Cameroon expected to join the team.
'We have completed 95% of the team selection,' said Fazzrudin.
'Ronald will join in a day or two together with a few of our Under-23 players as well. Then, it will be complete.
The Cats have so far signed strikers Gabriel Nistelrooy, Ahmad Danial Asri; goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli, winger Ramadhan Saifullah, Timor Leste winger Joao Pedro and Filipino centreback Scott Woods.
They have also retained key men like fullbacks Jimmy Raymond, Arif Fadzillah; midfielder Daniel Amier Norhisham, striker Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, Bahraini midfielder Moses Atede, Nigerian centreback James Okwuosa and Japanese defender Yuki Tanigawa.
Kuching City hope to remain in the top five standing in the league. They finished fourth in the last season.
'Our goal has always been to become the champions in the league – that's still our mindset, but realistically, we have set a top-five finish,' said Fazzrudin.
Despite the off-field rumours, it's clear that Kuching City are pressing ahead with clear intent, banking on Aidil's leadership to turn bold ambition into tangible results.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Squash gamble pays off for fearless Zoe Foo
Squash gamble pays off for fearless Zoe Foo

New Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Squash gamble pays off for fearless Zoe Foo

KUALA LUMPUR: For the love of squash, Zoe Foo quit her full-time job in June to return to competitive action, and it paid off handsomely at the National Championships on Thursday. The ninth seed stunned joint-fifth seed Anrie Goh 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 10-12, 11-4 in a tough 41-minute battle to reach the women's quarter-finals at the Nicol David International Squash Centre in Penang. The 27-year-old, who holds a degree in Organisational Sciences from George Washington University, will face top seed and defending champion Aira Azman in the last eight on Friday. Zoe, formerly employed by a Japanese strategy and management consulting firm, said: "I quit my job in June this year and started playing competitive squash again. "I am happy to beat Anrie, whom I lost to in four games at the Ace Satellite tournament in June." The fearless Zoe added she is ready to give Aira a tough time. "I am looking forward to facing Aira, who is a very skilful player. I will go all out to give my best in the quarter-finals." There was another upset in the women's draw as V. Haneesha ousted joint-fifth seed Chen Yu Jie 13-11, 11-4, 11-9 in just 22 minutes. She now meets second seed Aifa Azman. Doyce Lee defeated Angie Ooi 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 to set up a clash with third seed Goh Zhi Xuan, while Harleein Tan overcame Ayesha Rania 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 11-9 to reach the last eight. Selected results Men's 1st rd: Duncan Lee bt Ivan Chang 11-1, 11-4, 11-8; Low Wa Sern bt Hasvind Kugan 12-10, 11-5, 11-7; Joachim Chuah bt Tho Wei Yan 11-5, 11-8, 11-2; Hazif Zharif bt Raziq Putra Fakhrur 11-5, 11-4, 11-7; M. Nickheleswar bt Tay Jun Qian 9-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9, 11-8.

Brady didn't understand football, says Rooney after 'work ethic' jibe
Brady didn't understand football, says Rooney after 'work ethic' jibe

New Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Brady didn't understand football, says Rooney after 'work ethic' jibe

LONDON: Wayne Rooney has described criticism of his work ethic by Birmingham minority owner Tom Brady as "unfair" and said the NFL legend did not understand football. Former Manchester United and England captain Rooney, was sacked as Birmingham manager in January 2024 after less than three months in charge. Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Brady, who became a minority shareholder at Birmingham in August 2023, said he was "a little worried about our head coach's work ethic" during a recently-aired documentary after visiting Blues' training ground two months later. "I think Tom came in once, which was the day before a game where the days are a little bit lighter anyway, and I don't think he really understood football that well," Rooney said on his new podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, which will be aired on the BBC's digital platforms. "Football is not NFL – NFL works for three months a year. Players do need rest as well, so I think he's very unfair, the way he's come out and portrayed that." Following Rooney's departure, Birmingham appointed Tony Mowbray and Gary Rowett as managers in the 2023/24 season but were relegated to League One. "When I went into Birmingham, they were in a mess really," added Rooney. "Hence the fact that the players weren't really the players who could take the club forward. Since then the project, headed by American-based hedge fund Knighthead Capital, has turned around. Birmingham's wealthy backers invested an unprecedented £30 million (RM171 million) in transfers for a League One club last season and broke an English Football League record by amassing 111 points as they stormed to the title. "Listen, I respect Tom Brady massively," said Rooney.

Late equaliser gives KL City 'the worst feeling'
Late equaliser gives KL City 'the worst feeling'

New Straits Times

time5 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Late equaliser gives KL City 'the worst feeling'

KUALA LUMPUR: KL City coach Risto Vidakovic said his team conceding a late equaliser in Wednesday's 1-1 Super League draw with 10-man Sabah was the "worst feeling". The City Boys led 1-0 at the KLFA Stadium after Declan Lambert scored with a deflected effort in the 64th minute. Gabriel Peres, however, headed in the equaliser for Sabah in the second minute of stoppage time. Sabah's Dean Pelekanos had been shown a red card at the end of the first half. Speaking at a post-match press conference, Vidakovic said his side dominated and should have won the match. :It's the worst feeling, considering we controlled almost the entire second half and had many chances to finish off the game. But that's football — sometimes you have to accept it, look forward and work hard," he said. "It was a very good opportunity to get three more points and build confidence. We are a new team, building from scratch. It was very important to win today, but that didn't happen." The Serbian coach said he was not blaming anyone for the draw and urged his team to bounce back in their FA Cup first-round clash against Kelantan The Real Warriors (KTRW) in Kota Bharu on Aug 18. "I don't like to blame anybody. It's part of football — 90 minutes of concentration, with everyone tired. We also started pre-season a little late, so we are not yet at our physical peak," Vidakovic said. "The FA Cup is next. As always, we will play our game and aim to win, but the most important thing now is to rest and recover psychologically. "It was a shock for us to concede that goal — the worst thing that can happen on the pitch. We must recover, especially our mood, after this game."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store