KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor FC head coach Nidzam Jamil is standing by Samuel Somerville and Sharul Nazeem after the players received criticism on social media over the past week.
Nidzam responded after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Kuching City FC in the first leg of their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
Chilean Ronnie Fernandez fired the Red Giants into the lead in the 31st minute, but Kuching City equalised deep into first-half added time.
A miscommunication in the backline between goalkeeper Somerville and centre-back Sharul in the 64th minute saw Kuching City capitalise through Ghanaian striker Jordan Mintah, who tapped in to seal the win for his side.
The defensive error made by Somerville and Sharul resulted in the players being bombarded with mockery by football fans on social media for their lack of communication on the pitch.
Speaking to Scoop, Nidzam said he was not frustrated with Somerville and Sharul’s performance in the match, citing that both players had done their best since joining the club.
Somerville joined Selangor from Penang FC in 2022, while Sharul made the senior team in 2021 after spending years in the club’s academy and Selangor II.
“I will defend Sam and Sharul till my last breath, as they both have been great servants for the club. Just because one game didn’t go our way it doesn’t make them bad players,” said Nidzam when contacted.
“They both have been great for the club since the day they joined, and it has never been easy for them over the past few months. Players like Sharul have been great as he didn’t only play in the centre-back position but also as a wing-back in several games.
“People can easily criticise, but it’s never easy to be in their position. My reaction was very simple in the dressing room after the match against Kuching last week.
“I didn’t scold either Sam or Sharul for their mistakes; I was fully behind them, as making mistakes is part of a footballer’s life,” said Nidzam when contacted.
At the same time, Nidzam also said his side were still in the race for the FA Cup and made it clear that they would have to score more than two goals to advance to the semi-finals.
“No one should count us out yet, as we still have another 90 minutes to go at our home ground.
“We need to win 2-0 or more to qualify for the semi-finals, hence we need to put on a good performance and continue fighting till the end,” Nidzam added.
The second leg of the FA Cup quarter-final between Selangor and Kuching City is expected to take place at the MBPJ Stadium this Saturday.
For the record, the Red Giants have won the FA Cup five times (1991, 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009) in their 119-year history. – July 3, 2024