PETALING JAYA: Gabriel Nistelrooy returned to his home state hoping to secure regular playing time with Kuching City.
The move did not pay off immediately but the lanky striker from Miri, Sarawak, persevered.
And on Saturday, the big moment finally arrived when he emerged as the match winner when the Borneo side defeated Penang 1-0 in their Super League clash at the City Stadium in George Town.
Handed a rare start, Gabriel capitalised on a defensive mistake by Penang’s Argentinian captain and centreback Stefano Brundo before calmly beating goalkeeper Ramadhan Ab Hamid with a neat finish.
That win saw Kuching move to second in the league with 40 points from 19 matches, although their position could change depending on the result involving Selangor and Kuala Lumpur next.
Penang, meanwhile, sit ninth with 19 points from 19 games.
The 25-year-old Gabriel was happy to make full use of the opportunity.
“It was a very meaningful goal for Kuching City. Even though it may have looked like a simple finish, it secured three vital points for the team. I feel very happy to have scored the winning goal for us,” said Gabriel.
He joined the Cats on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) with high expectations, especially after finishing as the MFL Cup Golden Boot winner last season with 24 goals.
However, he struggled to earn consistent starts as the club has largely relied on their foreign attacking options – Cameroon’s Ronald Ngah and naturalised Malaysian striker Jordan Mintah, who was born in Ghana.
The arrival of another Cameroonian forward, Jerome Mpacko Etame, further reduced Gabriel’s opportunities for minutes. Gabriel admitted that the step up from the MFL Cup to the Super League has not been easy, but he was comfortable with the development plan laid out by coach Aidil Sharin.
“In my opinion, it isn’t easy playing in the Super League. I had to work on my weaknesses so that I can become even more competitive in the league.
“It is a huge advantage for me to be able to learn from strikers who have such vast experience. It also provides me with a great challenge in training to compete alongside them.
“My hope is to help Kuching City finish in the top two and take the club to a higher level.”
In the last nine Super League appearances this season, Gabriel had started five matches and came off the bench four times. He had also made one start each in the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup.
Across all competitions, he has recorded three goals and two assists.
