PETALING JAYA: Kuching City striker Ronald Ngah was a picture of unbridled joy after the Cats overturned a first-leg deficit to secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Penang to reach the Malaysia Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
The 34-year-old danced his way through the mixed zone, celebrating with teammates and fans alike.
And the Cameroonian should be so happy. He struck the winner in the 2-0 second leg win at the State Stadium in Kuching just before half-time, capitalising on a miscued pass from Penang defender Kamil Akmal Rokisham before calmly slotting the ball home.
Gabriel Nistelrooy, on-loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim, had earlier put Kuching 1-0 up when he pounced on a rare mistake by Penang keeper Ramadhan Abdul Hamid, who had kept four straight clean sheets before the game.
Ngah said he could not contain his joy after the final whistle.
‘’I was dancing for our fans, who are our 12th man.
‘‘At the end of the day, we want to make them happy,” said Ngah, who has scored 16 goals and provided three assists.
Kuching also saw the debut of new signing Jerome Mpacko Etame, Ngah’s countryman, who impressed in his first appearance.
“Etame is a good player, a real boost for us,” Ngah said.
“With him, Gabriel and Jordan (Mintah), we push each other every day. Healthy competition brings out the best in each of us.”
In the quarter-finals, Kuching will face Brunei, with the first leg at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium on Feb 8 and the second at the State Stadium on Feb 15.
