Quite a following: Kuching City midfielder Daniel Amier Norhisham taking a wefie with young fans during an event. — Kuching City
PETALING JAYA: Kuching City are set to enter uncharted territory as they will take on a ‘‘new’’ Penang in the Malaysia Cup round of 16 first-leg game at the City Stadium in Georgetown on Thursday.
The Panthers could be a different side tactically with Wan Rohaimi Wan Ismail on board as the new coach, and many say he would project a different style of play compared to previous coach Akmal Rizal Rakhli.
The Il Gatto (The Cats) are aware of the tricky game ahead of them but their key midfielder Daniel Amier Norhisham said that it was not their biggest concern.
“We’ve never seen Penang playing under this coach (Rohaimi), so we just need to stay focused on ourselves,” said the 27-year-old, who is on-loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
“Our coach (Aidil Sharin) has planned and spoken to us about the game.
‘‘We’ll just follow our game plan and tactics.”
Kuching are hoping to do better in the Malaysia Cup this season, after losing 1-4 to Sabah on aggregate in the round of 16 last season.
Their best outing in the competition was in 2022 when they qualified for the quarter-finals, where they also lost 1-2 to Sabah on aggregate.
Daniel has been the fulcrum of the Kuching side, proving to be an indispensable player in midfield.
The former Felda United player has brought calmness to their midfield with his superb movements and passes, and work rate to help the team upfront and even in defence.
Fondly known as ‘’Boy’’ among his peers, he has started in 11 games out of the 14 in the Super League, proving himself to be one of the midfielders to watch in the league.
“Coach Aidil has helped me a lot to get back my confidence. The minutes I am getting now have helped me too. My teammates have been great, and the environment here in Kuching has been good.
“The local Sarawak players and also the seniors and foreigners have made it easier for me to adapt and gel with them.”
Daniel has also shown his adaptability as he has been partnered with several other midfielders during matches.
“It’s not a problem for me to play with any player. Whether it is (Diego) Baggio, Alif Hassan or (Petrus) Shitembi, I can combine with them in the middle of the park.”
Meanwhile, Daniel still harbours aspirations of donning the Harimau Malaya jersey despite being placed on the standby list for the last three call-ups.
The next best chance for him is to play in the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup but he is focused on his club first.
“Any player wants to be in the national team ... for sure! But my target is to get regular minutes and do the best I can. The chance will come for sure in the future.”
