PETALING JAYA: Selangor’s impressive continental journey may have ended in disappointment but captain and winger Faisal Halim believes the experience gained in their Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup campaign will only make them stronger next season.
“This experience has been extraordinary for the team and the players,” said Faisal, who joined Selangor in 2023.
“We will definitely bounce back stronger next season. Reaching the final itself is already a great achievement for us.
“We tried our best and gave everything we had. Now we have to learn from this experience and carry those lessons forward.”
The Red Giants suffered a 3-1 aggregate lossto Thai powerhouse Buriram United, who defended the crown they won last year.
Selangor will not feature in next season’s Asean Club Championship and the AFC Champions League (ACL) Two after finishing third in the Super League this season.
Their domestic cup runs also ended in the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup.
In the second leg final at Chang Arena in Buriram, Selangor showed early promise and briefly threatened an upset after midfielder Syahir Bashah fired home a stunning 30m strike in the 18th minute.
However, Buriram responded through the brilliance of veteran midfielder Theerathon Bunmathan.
The Thailand international first produced a superb lofted through ball for Suphanat Mueanta to equalise in the 27th minute before scoring with a spectacular volley from outside the penalty box in the 55th minute.
Faisal, fondly known as “Mickey” among teammates, admitted Selangor’s lapse in concentration proved costly after their bright start.
“In the first 25 minutes, we controlled the game, created chances and scored a deserved goal,” he said.
“But we lost concentration when Buriram started pushing for an equaliser. Maybe luck was not on our side.
“Once it became 1-1, it became much harder for us to regain momentum and push forward again.”
Meanwhile, Singapore international Safuwan Baharudin urged his Selangor teammates to remain proud of finishing runners-up in Southeast Asia’s premier club competition.
“A final to be proud of. A final that gave us something to dream about, but also one that leaves us disappointed because we fell short of becoming champions,” said the 34-year-old centreback, who has earned 130 caps for Singapore since 2010.
“Still, being the second best Asean team is something we can hold our heads high about.”
