PETALING JAYA: Safawi Rasid is one of the best football set-piece specialists in the country.
Whether it is creating chances or scoring directly from free-kicks, the 27-year-old winger has captivated the nation with his wondrous left foot.
On Friday, it was his free-kick goal that inspired Terengganu to pick up the tempo and eventually go on to win their FA Cup semi-final first leg against Selangor 3-2 at the Sultan Mizan Stadium in Gong Badak.
Safawi hit the mark in the 30th minute before Uzbekistan midfielder Nurillo Tukhtasinov doubled the Turtles’ lead in the 35th minute.
The Red Giants then mounted a fightback through Cape Verdean winger Alvin Fortes in the 39th minute and Jordanian midfielder Noor Al-Rawabdeh in the 48th.
But Terengganu eventually trooped off the winners when Nigerian striker Ishameel Akinade connected with a stunning header off Tukthasinov’s cross in the 70th minute.
But it was Safawi’s goal that was the highlight of the match when he curled in a beautiful free-kick from 25m, which bamboozled Selangor goalkeeper Samuel Somerville.
On whether it was his best ever goal, Safawi simply said it’s one of the best in his career so far.
“I actually wanted to watch the goal once the final whistle was over, but the line was so bad here I could not see it on social media,” said Safawi, who is on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
“The angle at which I took the free-kick was not easy but when I was able to place it on the right-hand side of the goal, I felt it was a beauty. It felt good scoring.
“The first 15 minutes of the game were slow but after my goal, the match started picking up steam and we went on to add another goal. They fought back but I am glad Ismaheel (Akinade) got the winner.”
The FA Cup tie is far from over as they await the second leg at the Petaling Jaya Stadium on Aug 3.
Terengganu captain Safawi has reminded his teammates to be on guard for the away clash.
“Just like how we played in Gong Badak, we will do the same in Petaling Jaya. In the second leg, we are going to forget the first-leg scoreline and start from scratch in our bid to get to the final.’’
