KUALA LUMPUR: Nippy winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim did not expect the national squad to score early, let alone to beat higher-ranked Turkmenistan 3-1, in their first Group E match of the 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil here, last night.
In fact, Mohamad Faizal, who was named the man of the match, said it was also surprising that not only did they manage to take a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes, but they also dominated the game until the final whistle.
“Everything just worked out well for us tonight...I’m really stoked that we all managed to successfully execute the coach’s game plan,” he told the post-match press conference here.
The Terengganu FC player stole the spotlight when he became one of the scorers through his goal in the 16th minute, along with Muhammad Safawi Rasid (11th minute), Corbin Ong (45th minute) and Turkmenistan’s Altymyrat Annadurdyyev (38th minute).
Having scored his very first goal with the national squad on the international stage in front of 21,000 spectators in the stadium, Mohamad Faizal has no reason not to believe that the clash against Turkeministan was his best performance so far.
Nevertheless, the winger is committed to staying grounded and recognising that it was all made possible by all other players and the coaches who had played their roles well in ensuring victory for the team.
“The victory is a result of teamwork and not just from one player working alone. Everyone has a role to play and they played it well.
“I’m so proud of my teammates and the coaches. All our hard work paid off tonight,” he said.
Malaysia will play against the favourites, Bahrain, in the second Group E match on Saturday - with a target to get at least one point.
To qualify on merit for the 2023 Asian Cup, Malaysia need to win Group E or finish among the top five runners-up in this qualifying round.
The last time Malaysia made an appearance in the Asian Cup was in 2007 when it co-hosted the tournament with Indonesia, but they had failed to qualify on merit for more than 40 years since the 1980 edition in Kuwait. - Bernama
