PETALING JAYA: Two players with Daniels in their names – one a midfielder and another a defender – were at the heart of A1 Semi-Pro League side Perak’s stunning win over top flight outfit Kuala Lumpur in their Malaysia Cup round-of-16 first leg tie on Sunday.
The Seladang were powered by fearless performances from 20-year-old playmaker Ahmad Daniel Hakimi Ahmad Azmil and leftback Hafizy Daniel Mohd Termizi, 21, in one of the competition’s biggest shocks.
Hakimi, who made his professional debut last season in the Super League and Malaysia Cup, opened the scoring in the 11th minute to cap a rapid counter-attack.
Fondly known as ‘’Kecik Maro’’ by his teammates, the left-footer showed great composure to beat KL goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad after latching onto a perfectly weighted through pass from captain and centreback Kamal Arif Azrai Shakimar.
As for Hafizy, he stood out by keeping experienced winger Safawi Rasid quiet on the right with his tight marking and interceptions, and also helping the centrebacks by being the extra body in the box.
Hakimi said: ‘’I’m proud of this big win because we are a development team made up of youngsters.
“All I want is to perform on the pitch, not just for myself, but for the state.”
Hafizy added: ‘’This is all the result of hard work from my teammates and the coaching staff.
“We played with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude as we just wanted to enjoy the game and give our best on the field.”
Despite playing a division below their opponents, Perak, eight-time Malaysia Cup champions, last crowned in 2018, showed tactical discipline and resilience to frustrate the City Boys for long periods.
KL dominated possession and pushed hard for an equaliser, but were repeatedly denied by Perak’s compact defence.
Kamal and Hafizy led the resistance with key blocks, while Nigerian defender Aliyu Abubakar made several vital clearances.
Against the run of play, Perak doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when defender Fadhil Mohd Azmi powered home a header from Hakimi’s pinpoint free-kick delivery.
Perak coach Syamsul Saad praised his players’ commitment and execution of the game plan, especially given their limitations.
“This was a tough mission but the plan worked. Fighting was the only way to beat KL because they are complete from top to bottom.”
He added that Perak’s squad, built largely from the Malaysia Games (Sukma) squad and Under-23 players, remain a long-term project.
“Give these boys two or three years and they will be in the right place. If this is what they can show, it won’t be long before Perak return to the top division,” he said.
The second leg will be played at Cheras Football Stadium on Jan 25.
