Negeri Sembilan FC head coach Nidzam Jamil admitted his side were punished by costly defensive errors as they went down 2–0 to Kuching City FC in their Liga Super 2025–26 encounter at Stadium Negeri, Kuching, on Friday night.
Speaking during the post-match press conference on 31 January, Nidzam acknowledged the strong structure and organisation displayed by the home side, describing Kuching City as the deserved winners on the night.
“Kuching City were very good in terms of their structure and organisation. The better team won tonight,” he said. “Both goals came from our defensive mistakes. These are things we can actually avoid, and we have to learn from this.”
The Negeri Sembilan head coach stressed that his team travelled to Sarawak with full intent to compete for all three points, not merely to contain the opposition.
“Our plan was not to come here just to get a point. We came here to try to win and to play good football,” he explained. “But the difference was in decision-making and execution. Those details are what separated us from Kuching City.”
Nidzam also credited Kuching City’s pressing game and intensity, admitting that his side were fortunate not to concede more goals.
“They applied very good pressure on us. Honestly, we were quite lucky because they could have scored more. Their pressing and overall approach caused us problems throughout the match,” he added.
Addressing questions on team selection and the decision not to start Oday Kharoub, Nidzam clarified that the move was influenced purely by fitness management rather than tactical preference.
“Oday is an important player for us and, of course, I would like to start him if possible,” he said. “But he has just recovered from a minor hamstring issue and only completed full training two or three days ago. We had to manage his condition carefully to avoid further injury.”
He added that Kharoub’s inclusion off the bench was part of a longer-term plan to prepare him physically and mentally for the upcoming fixtures.
“We brought him on to gradually build his match temperament for the next games,” Nidzam explained.
Concluding the press conference, Nidzam reiterated that the defeat would serve as an important learning experience for his squad as they continue their Liga Super campaign.
“We need to take responsibility, learn from this match, and come back stronger. This is all part of our process,” he said.
Negeri Sembilan FC will now turn their focus to the next fixture, aiming to respond positively and apply the lessons learned from the match in Kuching.