Eyes on the Crown, eyes on the game for Aidil

CAMBODIA: Kuching City FC may have done their homework on Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Crown, but head coach Aidil Sharin Sahak wants his players to keep their eyes firmly on their own game as they embark on their AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) campaign.

Aidil said Kuching City respected the Cambodian side’s qualities, but the key would be sticking to their own game plan when the two sides meet at Morodok Techo National Stadium tonight (Sept 17).

“We are more focused on our side, what is our game plan and how we are going to play against them, rather than focus too much on the opponent,” he said during a pre-match press conference on Wednesday (Sept 16).

Aidil is no stranger to Cambodian football, having previously played in the country in AFC competition, and his familiarity with Crown’s head coach has given him an insight into the football philosophy his counterpart brings to the team.

He also identified Crown’s physicality, set pieces and attacking quality as areas Kuching City must be ready for, with their No. 10 (Moses Dyer) and No. 14 (Valeriy Hryshyn) among the players he expects his side to keep a close eye on.

“We knew that they have good players in attacking, like their No. 10. That’s the key player that we have to watch, and also their No. 14, who is very good on the left foot of their set pieces too,” he added.

But while the opposition has been thoroughly studied, Aidil is wary of allowing that homework to become a distraction.

The match represents an important opening to the ACL2 campaign for both sides, and he expects an exciting contest with each team pushing for a positive start.

“So definitely, I think it’s going to be an exciting game by pushing 100 per cent for both teams and we’re definitely going to expect positive football,” he said.

Aidil has also witnessed the development of Cambodian football first-hand since his earlier AFC experience in 2017, noting the improvement in quality within the domestic league.

“You can see now they have more quality players, especially the foreigners that they bring into the league. That is where you can see they are progressing well.

“And football is all about progress. And I think they are doing very well”, he said.

He expects the continental encounter to bring a different challenge from domestic football, particularly with Phnom Penh Crown enjoying home support and the composition of their squad differing between competitions.

“We respect them. And we want to stay humble. And I think the most important tomorrow we just have to focus on our side,” Aidil said.