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YANGON – Nippy winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim does not want to be labeled as a hero after Malaysia beat Myanmar 1-0 in the 2022 Asean Football Federation Cup Group B opener here, last night.
Faisal said he was not the only one who worked hard to give the Harimau Malaya squad three valuable points.
He said the success of defeating Myanmar on their own sacred field at Thuwunna Stadium was achieved because of the high fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude displayed by the players throughout the 90 minutes of the match.
“I’m not the reason the team got three points, we all worked hard and finally I got the chance (to score). I thank my teammates for fighting until the last whistle.
“We thought this match was going to be really easy, but the opposite happened. Both teams played at a very high tempo but this is football, whoever scores wins,” he said when met after the match here.
Faisal admitted that he and his teammates struggled to find a rhythm during the first 45 minutes of the game.
“During the second half, the coach changed the tactical plan a little to put more pressure on the opponent,” said the 24-year-old player.
Faisal and goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi Mohamed each emerged as heroes when he scored the winning goal in the 52nd minute while Syihan brilliantly saved Myat Kaung Khant’s penalty kick at the end of the match.
The national team will now take on Laos at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday before travelling to Hanoi to face Vietnam on December 27 and complete their Group B fixtures against Singapore back in Bukit Jalil on January 3.
Since the tournament began in 1996, when it was then known as the Tiger Cup, Malaysia has emerged as champions once in 2010 and finished runners-up thrice – in 1996, 2014 and 2018. – Bernama, December 22, 2022