PETALING JAYA, Oct 2 — Selangor FC aim to emulate the success of Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) as they prepare to host Philippine club Dynamic Herb Cebu FC in their second Group H match of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 (ACL 2) 2024/25 tomorrow night.
Its head coach Nidzam Jamil said the Red Giants want to achieve positive results like those earned by other teams, including JDT and the national team, as this would further elevate the prestige of local football.
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Selangor FC head coach Nidzam Jamil speaks during the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 pre-match press conference at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium in Petaling Jaya, on October 2, 2024. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
“Talking about ACL, it is a good sign for Malaysian clubs to show good results in international tournaments. We also want to follow whatever good results have been achieved, not only by JDT but also by our national team because it helps improve our national football.
"So yes, we are really happy because JDT and we are participating at the highest level of Asian football, with JDT in ACL Elite and us in ACL 2,” he said during a pre-match press conference against Dynamic Herb Cebu at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium today.
Nidzam was responding to a query as to whether JDT's victory in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) 2024/25 yesterday had inspired Selangor to also aim for three points here.
The Southern Tigers created a sensation after securing their first win in the ACL Elite by defeating China representative Shanghai Shenhua FC 3-0 in a Group A match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
He added that Selangor is unaffected by the results of other teams and always has their way of achieving victory.
"We are Selangor, we are not affected by other results, we have our path, and tomorrow’s match is decided by our own hands. We do not want to put unnecessary pressure and just concentrate on ourselves," Nidzam said.
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Selangor FC captain Safuwan Baharudin speaks during the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 pre-match press conference at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium in Petaling Jaya, on October 2, 2024. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Meanwhile, Selangor FC captain Muhammad Safuwan Baharudin said team motivation is at its best, especially after securing an important 1-0 away win against Terengganu in the Super League match on Saturday (September 29).
"I should say the motivation is good. I think we had a good few games before this game, and the good thing about us is we are playing in a few different competitions. We have good squad depth, and that is also a key strength in our team," said the 33-year-old Singapore national player.
For the record, Selangor drew 1-1 with Thailand's Muangthong United, while Dynamic Herb Cebu suffered a 0-6 thrashing to South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in their respective first group match.
So far, Selangor has maintained a 100 per cent winning record at home in all competitions this season, which serves as a strong motivation in their mission to collect their first three points tomorrow.
— Bernama
