JAPANESE coach Katsuhito Kinoshi has been appointed as the new Selangor FC head coach to fill the vacancy left by Nidzam Jamil who resigned unexpectedly last month.
Selangor announced the matter in a statement late last night, describing Kinoshi as a coach with extensive experience who will bring in-depth knowledge of the game and strong leadership qualities.
Kinoshi’s appointment is also a sign that the Red Giants are entering a new phase of potential.
“His expertise in team building, strategy, and young player development will certainly be a great asset to our team in its quest to achieve success.
“His (Kinoshi) expertise in coaching, along with the experience he has gained from working with several leading coaches, will give the team the direction and identity it needs to succeed,“ the statement said.
Sharing his excitement, Kinoshi said joining Selangor is an honour for him and he is excited to work with the team’s talented players.
“Together, we will strive to build a team that is not only tactically strong, but also full of passion and determination to succeed,” said the 60-year-old Tokyo-born coach.
Among the important moments in Kinoshi’s coaching journey was when he had the opportunity to work with two famous figures in the world of football coaching, namely Dragan Stojkovic and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, in addition to Akira Nishino.
The collaboration between Kinoshi and Stojkovic, who is the head coach of the Serbian national team, successfully took the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Selangor are currently in second place in the 2024/2025 Super League, 11 points behind leaders Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) who have collected 40 points and Selangor are still competing in the Malaysia Cup campaign.
In the 2024/25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2 (ACL2) campaign, Selangor are on track to qualify for the knockout round as they are currently in second place in Group H, two points behind leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors of South Korea.
