PETALING JAYA: It takes courage to admit a mistake, and Brunei goalkeeper Haimie Nyaring (pic) has done just that.
Following Brunei’s 1-3 defeat to Kuching in the first leg of their Malaysia Cup quarter-final at the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium last week, the 27-year-old acknowledged that costly errors must be reduced, including one of his own.
“I admit the own goal was my mistake. At that moment, I saw the Kuching players were very confident in front of goal and they capitalised on the opportunity,” said Haimie, who at 1.73m is considered small for a goalkeeper.
Determined not to repeat those errors, Haimie is focused on helping his side bounce back in the return leg against Kuching this Saturday.
He also highlighted Kuching City’s strengths, admitting their speed, physical presence and efficient ball distribution exposed Brunei’s weaknesses and added to their frustration.
“They are very fast, possess good physicality and have solid ball distribution. There is a lot we need to do to overcome the advantages they have,” he said.
Despite the setback, the Bruneian international insists their hopes of progressing are still alive. He believes improvement is needed across the board, particularly in defence and attack, areas that have troubled the team at times this season.
“I still feel Brunei have a great chance in the second leg because our previous performances were good. We just need to be more focused and disciplined in both defence and attack,” said Haimie, who has earned 29 caps for his country.
