PETALING JAYA: Jerome Mpacko Etame made sure his first full appearance of the Super League season was one to remember.
The Cameroonian striker scored four goals as Kuching City thrashed Kuala Lumpur 6-0, living up to his Instagram handle, “neymar_bonbon” and showing, much like his Brazilian namesake, that he possesses both predatory instinct in front of goal and genuine quality on the ball.
The 30-year-old was at the heart of everything at Cheras Football Stadium on Wednesday, scoring in the 26th, 48th, 54th and 90th minutes.
Bosnian strike partner Ajdin Mujagic added the other two goals, in the fourth and 59th minutes.
The result was a timely response for the Il Gatto (The Cats), who had gone down 3-0 to Johor Darul Ta’zim in the Charity Shield last Friday.
In the match against JDT, Etame came in as the substitute late into the game.
“I first want to thank the fans for the support. I’m very happy with my four goals, and it was thanks to great teamwork,” said Etame.
“It was important to bounce back with a win after losing to a great club like JDT.
“Starting out the season is always difficult for any footballer joining a new team, but the coach’s playing system is one I understand well, and that made my integration easier.
“My teammates also welcomed me warmly, so everything came together quickly.”
Etame was among four players who missed pre-season training in Chiang Mai, Thailand — a situation that had concerned head coach Aidil Sharin, who had hoped to have his full squad together to build chemistry ahead of the new season.
“Yes, I missed the pre-season in Chiang Mai, but that phase was mostly evaluation matches.
“Most of our pre-season work was actually done in Kuching before the trip to Thailand, so I was already physically ready,” Etame explained.
“I continued training individually, and also worked with the strength and conditioning coach of the Kuching Under-23 team to maintain my fitness. Thank God, everything went well in a good atmosphere.”
Looking ahead to Kuching’s next assignment against Kelantan at the Sultan Mohd IV Stadium in Kota Baru today, Etame was wary of the challenge posed by a side known for their defensive, counter-attacking approach.
“It won’t be easy against Kelantan, they’re a very difficult team to break down.
“I’m expecting to recover quickly thanks to the work of the physical trainer over the past two days, and everything is being done to ensure I’m ready in time.”
