PETALING JAYA: National player Endrick Dos Santos’ next assignment is set to be a tough one but he is ready for it.
The 29-year-old Dos Santos is one of the 27 players picked in preparation for the friendly against New Zealand at the North Harbour Stadium in Auckland on Oct 14.
He expected to be the main man in midfield against the world No. 95 New Zealand, who have some top-quality defenders like Tommy Smith, Michael Boxall and Tim Payne.
“I’m happy to have another call-up, now against difficult opponents,” said the left-footed Dos Santos, who also played in the Merdeka Tournament.
“I’m excited about the game because it will be a great challenge and a good opportunity to show our growth as a team.
“My role as a playmaker, especially against the bigger and stronger New Zealanders, will be challenging.
“We’ll have little space and time to think. I’m prepared though.”
Besides Endrick, the other attackers are Arif Aiman Hanapi (Johor Darul Ta’zim), Akhyar Rashid and Safawi Rasid (Terengganu) and fellow playmaker Paulo Josue (Kuala Lumpur).
Dos Santos, who is playing in the Vietnamese League for the first time, has so far played three matches in the league, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
“I am still adapting to the new team members, getting to know each one better,” said Dos Santos, who is on-loan from JDT.
“We started the league playing against big teams and we are competing well.
“For sure after a few more games our performance will improve.”
