PETALING JAYA: Kuching City coach Aidil Sharin is serving up a recipe for proper squad management and it is paying off during the month of Ramadan.
Since the fasting period began on Feb 20, the Borneo side suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Selangor in the Super League.
However, they bounced back strongly with a 1-0 win over Immigration on March 1 before producing a convincing 2-0 Borneo Derby victory against Sabah on Saturday at the State Stadium in Kuching.
Timor Leste international winger Joao Pedro, who was also deployed as a wingback, opened the scoring in the fifth minute, while Namibian midfielder Petrus Shitembi doubled the lead in the 26th minute. After that, Kuching focused on protecting their advantage, although they still created numerous opportunities and finished the match with about 15 attempts on goal.
Aidil revealed that careful planning and tactical adjustments were necessary to navigate the challenges of the fasting month.
“It is not easy. Away games require travelling and proper logistics especially after our last games against Selangor and Immigration, and at the same time many of our players are fasting,” said Aidil.
“I can’t have four or five Muslim players on the pitch to play at the same time because they are fasting and definitely have less energy, so we have to make tactical tweaks.
“That is why you only see one or two Muslim players and the rest are the ones not fasting. That helps a lot and the boys have been very professional.
“We only have one more match this month, against Penang in George Town on March 14. It won’t be easy because they will be eager to prove something.”
Kuching City did not field Gabriel Palmero as he is one of the seven players suspended for a year by FIFA for false documentation but he has been allowed to train with the team.
“He only signed with us until the end of the season. Contract negotiations are not under my jurisdiction,” said Aidil.
“I appreciate what he did for us in the previous matches. He was a thorough professional.
“He’s only 24 and a quality player – you never know, maybe one day he could even play in La Liga.”
Kuching are third with 37 points from 18 games, while Sabah are 10th with 15 points from 17 matches.
