Negeri Sembilan FC may have suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to PDRM FC in the second leg of the FA Cup Round of 16, but Head Coach Nidzam Jamil was quick to highlight the positives as his side advanced to the quarter-finals with a commanding 5-1 aggregate victory.
Speaking after the match, Nidzam admitted that the game was more open than he had anticipated, with both sides creating opportunities. “I think we were very lucky tonight because the game was really open for both teams. Of course, we came in with the advantage of five goals, but there are certain areas we need to improve. In-game management and tactical discipline must be sharper. We could have avoided conceding corners, we could have handled counter-attacks better, and our defensive structure must be stronger,” he explained.
Despite conceding early in Selayang, Nidzam praised his players for keeping composure and ensuring qualification. “This is the FA Cup – matches like this are never straightforward. The good thing is we made full use of our home advantage in the first leg. Even though we conceded one goal in the return match, the most important thing is that we are through to the quarter-finals,” he added.
When asked about the team’s recent tendency to lose possession in dangerous areas, Nidzam acknowledged it as a concern but remained optimistic about improvement. “Of course it worries me. Our target is always to keep clean sheets, but that requires hard work as a team. We must keep working on how we defend collectively,” he said.
With the Jang advancing to the last eight, Nidzam emphasized that focus now turns to refining performances for the challenges ahead. “We look forward with confidence. The job is not done yet – we must continue to improve,” he concluded.