Fresh off being named Coach of the Year at Malaysia’s National Football Awards, Singapore’s Aidil Sharin Sahak says he’s open and ready to coach the Lions.
If the opportunity arises.
The 47-year-old, who masterminded Kuching City’s rise to fourth in the Malaysia Super League (MSL) this season, told The Straits Times that coaching the national team remains his dream.
“I’m always ready because it’s always a dream to coach your national team.”
“If there’s an opportunity besides Malaysia, like Thailand or Myanmar, of course I’m always open to it, because the more you go out and face big challenges, the more you grow,” he said.
His comments come on the back of a standout campaign with Sarawak-based Kuching City.
When Aidil took over in August 2023, they were 13th in the league and flirting with relegation.
This season, they finished fourth out of 13, earning a spot in the 2025–26 ASEAN Club Championship.
His efforts earned him the top coaching honour at Malaysia’s National Football Awards on 23 April, beating out Selangor’s Katsuhito Kinoshi and Johor Darul Ta’zim’s (JDT) Hector Bidoglio
Fans also voted him into the Coach of the Fans’ XI.
“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.”
The Kuching story mirrors what Aidil previously achieved with Kedah, winning the 2019 Football Association Challenge (FA) Cup and guiding them to consecutive second-place finishes in the league.
It also reflects his 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup ASEAN zone win with Singapore’s Home United.
With ambitions to return to continental competitions like the Asian Champions League Two (ACL2), Aidil has already begun preparing Kuching for the next campaign, even as talks of a contract renewal are ongoing.
But for now, Aidil is keeping his options open.
“They want me to grow the club and at the moment, I think they are very happy with what I’ve been contributing, but I haven’t discussed it yet. I just want to leave my options open first, and let’s see what’s the best for me,” said Aidil.
Now the question is, will the Football Association of Singapore pick up the phone before someone else does?
PHOTO: KUCHING CITY