KUALA LUMPUR – Nidzam Jamil admits that he has been brushing off cyberbullies and letting their comments go in one ear and out the other over the last few weeks in order to fully focus on his duties as Selangor FC’s head coach.
The 45-year-old’s response comes after his side faced back-to-back defeats in away matches in both their Super League and Malaysia FA Cup campaigns.
Selangor lost 1-0 in their Super League fixture against a financially troubled Kuala Lumpur City FC on July 14, and the Red Giants also lost 3-2 in their FA Cup semi-final fixture against Terengganu FC at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium on Friday.
These results have led to both Selangor and neutral fans venting their anger on social media towards Nidzam, with some even describing him as a “scammer”.
Speaking to Scoop, Nidzam said he prefers to avoid using social media to ensure that he is not affected by the targeted messages.
“I have been playing football since I was a young boy, and I am 45 years old now. It’s much more challenging to be a coach in this current era than it was back in the day.
“Nowadays, everyone wants to voice their opinion. While they have the freedom to express themselves, it’s saddening to see many misusing that freedom and going overboard.
“I have social media, but sometimes I prefer not to engage as people, especially younger individuals, tend to attack me with nasty comments and messages.
“I know that being a Selangor fan comes with high expectations, and fans always expect us to dominate our matches. However, it’s not fair to describe me with inappropriate words when I’m doing my best with what I have.
“So far, we are doing fine, but I’m not going to lie, if the results are bad in the next few matches, I will know my responsibility and the next step to take. There’s no need for anyone to tell or talk about my future,” said Nidzam when contacted.
At the same time, Nidzam said that cyberbullying must be stopped in all areas, including sports, because it has a severe impact on an individual’s mental health.
“Cyberbullying is getting worse day by day, and it needs to be stopped before it becomes unstoppable. We have seen several cases happening in our country, and this is a serious issue.
“As much as technology advances, people are misusing it to harm individuals by attacking them as a group. If this continues, we will see more people taking drastic action as victims of cyberbullying.
“Not everyone is as strong as me, and cyberbullying will definitely impact a person’s mental health in the long run,” Nidzam added.
Nidzam, a former national footballer, spent the majority of his professional career at Selangor FC (1999-2004) and also turned out for PKNS FC (2005-2006), Negeri Sembilan FC (2006-2007), and Proton FC (2007-2008) in the Super League.
Due to injuries and multiple operations on his ankle and knees, he decided to hang up his boots at the age of 28 and started to concentrate on the coaching arena.
Selangor currently ranks second in the Super League table, with nine points from five games. – July 21, 2024