KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — Selangor FC’s newly appointed coach Nidzam Jamil values each player’s role highly, as they have been very cooperative with the coaching staff.
Nidzam, the former Felda United coach and assistant to Tan Cheng Hoe, was serving as the interim coach for the 2023 Super League runner-up before being appointed as the head coach this month after Tan’s departure.
The former Selangor stalwart has abundant experience and knowledge about the players and team management of Selangor.
Nidzam, who played for Selangor from 2000 to 2004, feels he was lucky to be given the task of leading Selangor FC because every individual in the squad is equipped with vast experience and has carried out his duties very well.
He said having such credentials has given him a smooth start to the team’s pre-season preparations since training sessions are being carried out at night throughout the month of Ramadan, while the 2024/2025 Malaysian Football League (MFL) Super League starts in May.
“We not only have an expert dietician who plays an important role in avoiding unbalanced performances during the month of Ramadan, but we also have liaison officers who assist new players, especially the import players, in adapting to the night training carried out during the month of Ramadan.
“Most importantly, the club provides all the information needed for players, who will be readily assisted by club officials.
“We are lucky because Selangor has a team of officials and officers who carry out their duties well in their respective departments, assistant coaches, and physical trainers who have been in the business for eight seasons and know what kind of training is needed during the Ramadan month,” he told Bernama.
The 44-year-old said it was normal for any import player who comes to Malaysia for the first time with their family to take some time to adjust to the conditions, especially when training is held at night throughout Ramadan.
There are families of players who are surprised when training is held at 10pm because it disrupts their daily routine.
“It is normal but we are lucky to have officials who can assist these families of import players. We take the humanitarian approach rather than following the scientific approach. Science is important, but being non-Muslims, we need to assist them to face the situation during the Ramadan month,” Nidzam said.
In the 2024/2025 season, Selangor will not only be competing in the M-League but also feature in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) organised AFC Champions League campaign (ACL 2) 2024/2025.
— Bernama
