PETALING JAYA: Australian winger Dylan Wenzel-Halls hopes to take flight in a game that can help him win over the Kuching City faithful today.
The 28-year-old Australian winger is out to make his mark in his first Borneo derby when the Cats travel to the Likas Stadium to face Sabah in Kota Kinabalu.
Kuching are aiming for a third straight Super League victory against their fierce neighbours and Wenzel-Halls wants to be at the heart of the action.
“I know the fans really love these games and it’s important to them that the team win a derby clash,” said Wenzel-Halls.
“Playing against Sabah is always a difficult game. They’re in good form at the moment, so we’re going to focus on our job and what we have to do.
“We’ve prepared well for this game and we’re confident If we go out there and execute our game plan well, I believe we can get a win.’’
Sabah have also made a strong start to the season with two wins and Wenzel-Halls expects a close contest.
‘’This is a competitive league where there are so many good teams, and everyone’s started well early on,” he added.
We know it’s going to be challenging, especially at their home stadium in front of their fans.’’
Kuching City opened their campaign with a 0-3 loss to Johor Darul Ta’zim before bouncing back with emphatic wins over Kuala Lumpur City (6-0) and Kelantan (5-0).
However, a goalless draw away to Kelantan in the first leg of their FA Cup round-of-16 tie in Kota Baru on Wednesday gave the squad pause for thought.
“Kelantan were tough at their stadium in front of their fans. They came out firing and credit to them,” said Wenzel-Halls.
“We admit we weren’t at our best against Kelantan and we must improve on that when we face Sabah.”
Wenzel-Halls, who has made two appearances for the Cats so far and registered an assist against Kuala Lumpur, admits he is still settling into his new surroundings.
“As always, going to a new team, there’s an adaptation phase. My performances have been okay so far – I’ve shown glimpses of what I can do, but I know I’ve got a lot more to give,” he said. “I’m a player that likes to create opportunities for other players but I can also score goals and I’m always ready to work hard for the team.”
Wenzel-Halls also praised the depth within Aidil Sharin’s squad, pointing to the calibre of teammates and attackers such as Safawi Rasid, Jerome Mpacko Etame and Ronald Ngah.
“There’s so much quality and competition for places at the moment, and that’s a pleasing thing. It’s fantastic to play with so many top players,” he said.
