Working well under pressure
Nerves will keep me more focused during Cup final, says Kedah ace Amirul
PETALING JAYA: Kedah midfielder Amirul Hisyam Awang Kechik is a bundle of nerves as he prepares to make his second appearance in the Malaysia Cup final when his team take on Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) at the Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday.
But that’s the way he likes it.
“I prefer to be in this state of mind because I won’t be too comfortable. In fact, I’ll actually be more focused during the Cup final,” said Amirul.
“If you don’t feel the pressure, you may take the match lightly and end up making costly mistakes.”
The 22-year-old certainly knows what he’s talking about. He came close to becoming the villain when he failed convert his spot kick in the Malaysia Cup final last season after they were tied 1-1 with Selangor. Kedah, however, went on to win the shootout 6-5.
Last season saw the youngster enjoy a meteoric rise, making 33 appearances for the Red Eagles and he even dislodged long-serving Baddrol Bakhtiar from the central midfield role.
This season, however, he has only made 17 appearances due to a niggling calf injury. He even missed the FA Cup Final, which Kedah won after beating Pahang 3-2, in May.
Amirul recovered from the injury and played a key role in helping the national Under-23 team qualify for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship in July and bag the silver medal in the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August.
Now, he ready to add another silverware to his trophy cabinet.
“I made my debut with Kedah last season and struggled to make an impact in my first-ever Cup final,” said the Pendang local.
“Since then I’ve learned a lot because I got to play in more international matches. I think I’m now more mature and more confident.
“We are preparing well for the final against JDT and everyone has doubled his effort in training. We all want to defend the Malaysia Cup. I really hope we can do it.”