PETALING JAYA: After a 17-year wait, Bandar Seri Begawan will once again host a competitive football match and Kuching City will be the first Malaysian club to play there since 2008.
And the Cats’ midfield maestro Daniel Amier Norhisham is eager for the challenge, with a clear plan in mind.
Today, in the FA Cup round-of-16 first leg against Borneo rivals Brunei at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium, the 28-year-old and his teammates have one mission – return to Kuching for the Sept 14 second leg with goals in hand and a clean sheet.
Daniel has stepped onto the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah pitch before, in a friendly against Brunei last year. But he knows this will be a different test.
“It’s a big stadium and when it’s full, it’s fantastic.
“As a player, you always want to play in front of a big crowd, and I’m looking forward to the occasion,” he said.
“We’ll focus on our strengths and stick to the tactics our coach (Aidil Sharin) has prepared. It’s Brunei’s first home game, so they’ll be motivated to impress their fans – but we want to score and make sure we don’t concede.”
Kuching City began their domestic season in style, thrashing Kelantan 4-0 at the State Stadium on Aug 9.
That performance has sparked belief they can secure another top-four finish, just as they did last season. Daniel admits expectations have grown.
“Before the season opener, the coaches spoke to us about what to expect.
“Finishing in the top four last year means people expect more from us now.
“We want to push harder, double our efforts, and never get complacent.
“It’s still early, so we’ll take it one game at a time.”
Against Kelantan, Daniel impressed alongside Bahraini international Moses Atede and Namibian playmaker Petrus Shitembi. His numbers spoke for themselves – a 90% pass accuracy (35 out of 39), four pinpoint long balls out of six, and three interceptions.
“Players like Moses and Petrus make my job easier. They work hard, are great with the ball, and can play with both feet.
“They’re always motivating me and telling me to believe in myself.
“Their quality pushes me to do better – but I also know competition is fierce.
“Guys like Alif Hassan and Diego (Baggio) keep me on my toes, and that’s good for the team.”
