PETALING JAYA: Selangor are desperate to secure their first win in the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two campaign, and all eyes will be on interim head coach Christophe Gamel to make it happen when the team take on Persib Bandung at the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium today.
It will be a test of redemption for Gamel, who is looking to make amends after his first ACL outing with the Red Giants ended in a 2-4 defeat to Lion City Sailors at the Bishan Stadium on Oct 1.
Since then, Selangor have shown encouraging progress under the Frenchman’s guidance, notching back-to-back domestic wins — a 3-1 victory over Immigration in the Super League followed by a convincing 4-0 triumph over Negri Sembilan in the first leg of the FA Cup quarter-finals in Paroi.
Buoyed by that momentum, Gamel hopes his players can continue their good form against Persib, with winger Faisal Halim regaining confidence in recent matches, including his outings with the national team in the 2026 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
“Teamwork is more important than anything else. But yes, Faisal has been doing well (especially against Negri ). He’s getting back to his best, and you could also see that during his time with the national team.
“For me, it’s all about hard work. He also has teammates who support him and work together as one unit. The team are improving and playing the way I want them to. I’m happy to be working with this group,” said Gamel.
Persib head coach Bojan Hodak, who is no stranger to Malaysian football, acknowledged Selangor’s improvement under Gamel but stressed that his team will not take the visitors lightly as they aim to strengthen their bid for a place in the knockout stage.
“Tomorrow (today) will be a tough match. The rivalry between Indonesia and Malaysia is always there. Selangor are one of the best clubs from Malaysia, and they recently changed coach.
“They’ve been improving under the new coach and have some good attacking players who can score goals. But we’re also in good form and hope to continue getting good results,” said Hodak.
Persib currently sit second in Group G with four points from two matches, level with leaders Lion City Sailors but behind on goal difference. Selangor, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the group with no points after also losing 2-4 to Bangkok United in their opening match on Sept 18.
