PETALING JAYA: Brunei are turning to young winger Hakeme Yazid Said to help them overturn a two-goal deficit against Kuching City in their Malaysia Cup quarter-final second leg match at the State Stadium today.
And the 22-year-old is ready to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee as the Wasps bid to bounce back from their 1-3 loss in the first leg.
Hakeme, who has formed a potent attacking quartet with Indonesian striker Ramadhan Sananta, Australian forward Jordan Murray and Portuguese winger Miguel Oliveira, is highly motivated to lift his team and book a spot in the semi-finals.
One factor that is firing him up is that the clash has been dubbed the Borneo derby, a growing rivalry that Hakeme believes is injecting fresh excitement into the domestic scene.
“The Borneo derby between Brunei and Kuching is becoming increasingly exciting and reflects the positive trend in Malaysian football,” he said.
But he knows Brunei’s work has their work cut out for them as the derby results have not favoured them this season.
Brunei have faced Kuching four times in all competitions, managing just one victory.
In the FA Cup, Brunei edged Kuching 3-2 in the first leg but were thrashed 1-7 in the return leg in Kuching. They also fell 0-1 in their Super League meeting in November, again at the same venue.
Despite the setbacks, Brunei possess a key weapon in Hakeme, who has emerged as one of their standout performers this season.
In 10 Super League appearances, he has scored five goals and provided two assists, in addition to netting once in the Malaysia Cup.
Hakeme believes the improvement in the team’s attacking chemistry will also be key to them turning the tables on the Cats on their own backyard.
“In terms of combinations and chemistry, my understanding with Ramadhan, Jordan and the rest of the team is getting better. We communicate a lot both on and off the pitch, and our movements are becoming more synchronised,’’ he added.
“I’ve started to understand Ramadhan’s running patterns and how Jordan creates space for passes. The adjustment process is still ongoing, but I’m confident we’re on the right track to getting the result we want.”
Quick counter-attacks could also prove decisive. Brunei are known for their tactical organisation, while Kuching favour a possession-based approach orchestrated by African midfield duo, Namibian Petrus Shitembi and Nigerian Moses Atede.
