Singaporean Aidil Sharin wins Coach of the Year award at Malaysia s annual football gala

SINGAPORE – When Aidil Sharin Sahak took over Sarawakian side Kuching City midway through the 2023 season, they were mired in a relegation battle in the Malaysia Super League (MSL).

They eventually avoided the drop, despite finishing 13th out of 14.

But, in just his first full season in charge, the Singaporean helped them achieve a remarkable fourth out of 13 in the 2024-25 campaign, which secured a berth in next season’s Asean Club Championship.

The feat helped him win the Coach of the Year accolade at Malaysia’s National Football Awards on April 23.

The 47-year-old edged out two other nominees from more established sides – Selangor’s Japanese tactician Katsuhito Kinoshi and Venezuelan coach Hector Bidoglio of MSL champions Johor Darul Takzim (JDT).

But JDT expectedly dominated the awards, with Arif Aiman Hanapi named Most Valuable Player for a record fourth season in a row.

Aidil also won another award: He was picked by fans as coach of the Fans’ XI.

When contacted, Aidil told The Straits Times that he feels very honoured to have won the Coach of the Year award and it was something he did not expect.

“Honestly, I didn’t really hope for it, because I didn’t win the last three times when I was nominated,” he said.

“But this time, when I don’t hope for anything, it comes. To be in the top three is already a blessing for me.”

In an earlier stint in Malaysia, Aidil won the 2019 FA Cup with Kedah and led the north Malaysian club to runner-up finishes in the MSL in 2020 and 2021.

After leaving Kedah in 2022, he had a six-month sojourn with Indonesian top-tier side Persikabo 1973 in 2023, before joining Kuching in August that year.

When he arrived in the Sarawakian capital, Aidil realised that the