Kedah coach Aidil defends captain from harsh critics

PETALING JAYA: Many have been critical of Baddrol Bakhtiar’s (pic) performances in recent games, but Kedah coach Aidil Sharin is standing by his man.

The deep-lying playmaker had looked a pale shadow of himself in the first two matches of the season.

Kedah did well to beat Sabah 2-0 but Baddrol struggled to maintain his tempo and made some passes that went astray.

The Red Eagles drew 1-1 with Penang at the City Stadium on Friday but again, Baddrol did not play a prominent role although there was some improvement in the second half. Together with M. Anumanthan Kumar, they were able to keep things ticking.

While admitting to Baddrol’s lack of bite in the start of the season, Aidil said he was confident that the 33-year-old experienced player would bounce back.

“He can cope with any situation and knows how to handle criticism. The age factor will always be there, but I still believe that he can make a difference for us, ” said Aidil.

“The pitch at the City Stadium was heavy, no thanks to the downpour, but Baddrol still gave his all.

“He played much better against Penang compared to against Sabah.

“He has contributed a lot to Kedah football and will remain the leader of this team.

“He has been with us all these years, and he is always there to push us. Bad will only get better and better. As a coach, I will continue to have faith in him.”

In the match on Friday, the Panthers took the lead in the 11th minute when Brazilian midfielder Endrick Santos capitalised on Kedah goalkeeper Shahril Saa’ri’s mistake by prodding the ball into the net.

Penang were able to hold on to their lead until the 85th minute, with Penang goalkeeper Samuel Somerville being a good presence in goal, but Kpah Sherman finished off a cross from substitute Azamuddin Akil in the 86th minute to give the Red Eagles a precious point.

Aidil said his boys showed great character in the second half to mount a strong fightback.

“Substitutes like Rozaimi (Abdul Rahman), Alex (Azamuddin Akil) and Danel (Fadzrul Danel Mohd Nizam) made an impact when we needed the fresh legs to sustain that momentum. So it was good to see them doing their jobs well, ” he said.

“We had to change our game plan due to the waterlogged pitch. Penang were direct with their approach, so they caught us with one goal. Fortunately, we regained our composure in the second.”