PETALING JAYA: Kuching City striker Ahmad Danial Asri has made a strong case to be a regular starter for the Cats after his impressive brace in the 7-1 demolition of Brunei in their FA Cup round of 16 second-leg clash at the Sarawak Stadium on Sept 14.
Brought in as cover for the team’s more established strikers, the 25-year-old from Rawang, Selangor, has shown he is more than just a back-up option.
In only his second start of the season, Danial played with a smile on his face throughout the match, finally able to showcase his ability after two quiet years at Selangor.
“The win against Brunei was good because we are finally hitting the right notes,” said Danial.
“I want to thank coach Aidil (Sharin) for trusting me and giving me the chance to show my abilities.
“Two goals and an assist are decent stats, but I cannot be satisfied yet. There are many more games to come, and I hope to help Kuching do well in every competition we play in.”
Danial’s form comes at a crucial time as Kuching juggle options up front. Timor Leste winger Joao Pedro is still regaining sharpness after picking up an injury in the first leg against Brunei, though he managed to find the net in the return fixture.
“We gave Joaothe minutes to build up his confidence, and he did well with a goal,” said Aidil.
“This is also where I hope fans can be patient with Gabriel Nistelrooy. He’s still very young and didn’t play a single minute in the Super League before this. Slowly, we’re building his confidence back, and I was happy with how he linked up in attack.
“For me, no player can afford to rest easy. Everyone is contributing, and that desire is important. Whoever steps in must be ready to play their part.”
The other attackers in the team are wingers Ramadhan Saifullah, Zharmien Ashraf, Cameroonian striker Ronald Ngah, striker Ahmad Hazwan Bakri and recently naturalised striker Jordan Mintah.
Kuching’s emphatic win gave them a 9-4 aggregate victory and booked their place in the quarter-finals. Aidil was pleased with how his players responded after trailing by a goal from the first leg, describing the performance as proof of their work rate and belief in the system.
“Congratulations to all the players who gave their best. The difference this time was that they knew exactly what’s needed to be done, they followed the plan, and of course, we had great support from our fans,” said the former Singapore international.
