Al-Rawabdeh passes midfield test with flying colours

PETALING JAYA: If there was an unsung hero in Selangor’s 1-0 win over Sabah, it had to be Jordanian midfielder Noor Al-Rawabdeh (pic).

The industrious and versatile playmaker kept the Red Giants’ engine room running smoothly with his incisive passing as he also pressed the Rhinos’ frontline relentlessly to prevent them from making a breakthrough. Al-Rawabdeh also stood out with his composure under pressure, when he impressed with some delightful dribbling which saw him wriggle his way out of trouble in tight situations, as he created quite a number of scoring chances with his measured passes.

“It’s a split-second decision for me to pass or carry the ball forward, but when I see space, I use it,” he said.

One of Al-Rawabdeh’s assists, where he played the ball beautifully into the box for a header by Richmond Boakye in the 83th minute, almost resulted in a goal. Unfortunately for Boakye, his attempt hit the crossbar, and the ball subsequently ended up in Sabah goalkeeper Damien Lim’s hands.

Al-Rawabdeh credited his team for their strong teamwork.

“All my teammates played well, we were focused and supported each other well.

‘‘This win is a great boost to our confidence,” he said, ahead of Selangor’s Super League clash with leaders Johor Darul Ta’zim on Saturday at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.

“This will be a highly anticipated game for sure.”