RESPONSIBILITY
it to the management to decide for next season.”
Asked to expand on his statement, Nidzam said he only accepted the role of Kedah head coach after much persuasion by players and officials.
“I am in the process of learning and I need more time to carry this responsibility and despite winning the FA Cup, I think Kedah, as an elite team, need a coach with more experience,” he said.
“I reluctantly took on this job. It was only with the support of everyone from players to management that I decided to take on this job.”
Kedah are poised to lose at least two players following the season’s conclusion with young striker Syafiq Ahmad destined for Darul Ta’zim while left-back Fitri Omar is headed for newlypromoted Kuala Lumpur.
Syafiq did not make the Malaysia Cup final squad, which Nidzam said had nothing to do with his next move, while Fitri came on late as a substitute.
“There were only two places on the bench for attacking players and I chose Farhan Roslan and Ahmad Fakri Saarani in case someone had to replace Ken Ilso,” said Nidzam. “The fact that Syafiq is leaving was not a factor and I never doubted his commitment.” continue in order to achieve success.”
After suffering Malaysia Cup final disappointment with Selangor in 2008 and Darul Ta’zim in 2014, Safiq was finally able to lift the trophy aloft on Saturday.
“I am grateful to have won my first Malaysia Cup and also the club’s first,” he said.
“I want to thank the entire JDT family from the owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to the staff and players who gave their all this season from the best to the worst parts.
“Domestically, I have won everything but I want to achieve more for the club and myself. I won’t stop here and will strive to improve myself.”
Safiq said he knew the game was far from over despite Aidil scoring so early and even when Gonzalo Cabrera doubled the lead an hour later, he feared a reaction from Kedah.
“For as long as the final whistle had not blown, we had to keep our focus,” he said.
“In football, things can change in two minutes so we needed to maintain our momentum and try to get a second goal which we did.”
Just before Cabrera scored, however, Darul Ta’zim suffered an injury crisis when Gary Steven Robbat and Aidil had to go off in the space of three minutes, with Afiq Fazail and Junior Eldstal coming on.
But coach Ulisses Morais was not unduly concerned with having to make the sudden changes.
“We have good replacements and we know we can cope with that,” said Morais.