ISKANDAR PUTERI: Harimau Malaya winger Mohd Faisal Abdul Halim is beginning to feel the pressure of trying to find his goal-scoring touch this season.
This is especially so after he failed to score in Malaysia’s 1-0 win over Turkmenistan in a Tier 1 international friendly at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium on Thursday.
Faisal, fondly called Mickey, described the situation as disappointing but said it would not deter him from continuing to work hard to get his name on the score sheet.
“Definitely, as a player I feel pressured in the search for goals but I’m still happy that the team won. Maybe I need to work and pray harder to taste success,” said the 25-year-old.
“I need just one goal to end the drought and more will follow. I had my chances (against Turkmenistan) but just couldn’t convert.’’
In the clash at the Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) home ground, Akhyar Rashid scored the winner in the 29th minute before Turkmenistan goalkeeper Rasul Charyyev pulled off several saves from Faisal’s dangerous attempts.
At the club level, Faisal, who moved from Terengganu to Selangor this season, has yet to find the net after five matches in the Super League.
Last season, he netted 11 goals – six in the Super League, three in the FA Cup and two in the Malaysia Cup – and scored nine goals for the national team, including four at the AFF Cup.
Faisal said the current national squad had moved to a higher level with the presence of quality JDT players and the availability of good training facilities and match venue in Johor.
“We cannot deny that all players are at their best like the JDT players, and I’m lucky to have been selected this time as I get the opportunity to train in Johor using the best facilities,” he said.
“This is what we need to help the team perform better. We have another assignment against Hong Kong which needs the focus of all players as every match has its own challenges.”
Kim Pan-gon’s charges will play Hong Kong on Tuesday at the end of FIFA’s window period for international friendlies. — Bernama
