FEDERAL Territories goalkeeper Hafizy Nadzli used to like scoring goals. Now, he stops them, just like almost everyone in his family.
His father and eldest brother were goalkeepers at amateur level, while his second oldest brother Haziq Nadzli was once the National Under-23 goalkeeper who is on loan with Perak from Johor Darul Ta’zim.
“When I first played football, I was a striker. From six to seven years old, I played in that position. But after seeing my brothers, I decided to switch to goalkeeping,” he said.
“I trained to be a goalkeeper at the age of eight and had never looked back since then.
“My father Nadzli Mashhor used to play as goalkeeper during his schooling days and my eldest brother Muhsin Nadzli played in inter-varsity competitions for UiTM in the past.
“Then, there is Haziq who won the SEA Games silver medal in 2017. Haziq has always been a good role model. He guides me with his experiences especially when it comes to reading the game.”
Hafizy, who is doing his Diploma in Sports Management and Recreation at UiTM Shah Alam, has been one of the shot-stoppers to watch in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).
The Kuala Lumpur II player, who features in the MFL Cup, has been in goal for three games and kept two clean sheets.
The side led by Nidzam Adzha would hope to go all the way to the final but have one hurdle in the form in the semi-final against Kelantan at the MDDM Field in Mukah today.
“We will not underestimate Kelantan because they have a quality team. As a keeper, I have to be fully focused,” said the player who is a keen follower of Germany and Barcelona goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter-Stegen.
“The aim is to help the team get the final and go for the gold. It would also be nice to bring a medal to the household because I will the first one to do so. Haziq didn’t play in Sukma.”
