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Baddrol Bakhtiar dedicates Kedah's Malaysia FA Cup win to mother

After Kedah clinched their first Malaysia FA Cup in nine years, interim coach Nidzam Adzhar was already identifying key areas for his players to work on for the rest of the domestic season.

Kedah defeated Pahang 3-2 in Saturday's final in front of 80,000 fans at Shah Alam Stadium thanks to a Baddrol Bakhtiar brace and a strike from Danish import Ken Ilso.

The northern state added another trophy to their 2016 Malaysia Cup and 2017 Malaysia Charity Shield to top off a memorable seven months.

But gutsy Pahang, considered outsiders, proved more than a handful for Kedah, despite playing a man down for more than an hour after Francisco Insa was sent off in the first half.

"It was a tough game and there were mistakes from our end, but overall I think we did well to win," Nidzam said.

"But we conceded two soft goals, and that is something we need to work on. Pahang played a direct game of football, and they had two good wingers who came at us all the time. It was a hard earned win and certainly a sweet one."

The FA Cup triumph -- Kedah's first since their treble-winning season in 2008 -- came in only Nidzam's fourth game in charge.

The 49-year-old assistant to Tan Cheng Hoe was bumped up to the top job after Tan departed in early May to join national team.

Nidzam has been confirmed for the rest of the season as interim boss, and revealed that he still regularly calls the former Kedah coach for advice.

"I speak to him almost every day to ask for advice. My tenure as head coach has gotten off to a good start, and I hope I can continue to bring out the best from these boys," Nidzam said.

Man-of-the-match Baddrol Bakhtiar, meanwhile, dedicated his brace to his mother, who celebrated her birthday on Saturday.

He also attributed another influential performance to the hard work of his teammates.

"I owe my performance to the team, we worked really hard for each other," Baddrol said. "But this victory is only the beginning for us this season. We have also set sights on defending our Malaysia Cup title, and vying for the league title too."

Baddrol is the only surviving player from the side who ruled Malaysian football in 2008. He reflected on how far he has come since then.

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"I was only a junior when we won in 2008," Baddrol said. "I came into this final as an experienced senior, and there was a lot of responsibility for me to deliver as an old guard.

"I am glad I did that to take this trophy back home after a long time."

Kedah are expected to receive a raucous welcome when they touch down at Alor Setar on Sunday.

But Nidzam's side won't have much time to revel in their celebrations. They will take on T-Team in the Malaysia Super League on Wednesday.