Ready to wear: Safawi Rasid (right) and teammate Nooa Laine posing in the new national team jersey.
PETALING JAYA: Terengganu captain and winger Safawi Rasid is a player who’s never satisfied and that could make the difference for the Turtles in their Asean Club Championships campaign.
Safawi converted a penalty in the 65th minute to inspire his side to a 1-0 win over PSM Makassar in their Group A match at the Sultan Mizan Stadium in Gong Badak on Wednesday.
The badly needed win lifted Terengganu from fourth to second place on seven points, just one behind group leaders BG Pathum United, who beat Shan United 4-1 in Yangon, Myanmar.
PSM Makassar, who led the group earlier, have slipped to third, with seven points but are behind Terengganu on goal difference.
Safawi, who has scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 26 games in all competitions, said he still hungers to score more and help the team get to the semi-finals of the competition.
His determination to keep a regular spot in the national team is also pushing him to go the extra mile.
‘’For me, to be easily satisfied is no different from being complacent. As captain, I must be an example to my teammates and that’s why I’m always striving for more goals and wins,’’ said the player fondly known as Pawi, who is on loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim.
“Now that we’ve won a hard-fought match to keep our semi-final hopes alive, I intend to work harder to help the team keep their momentum in the upcoming matches.
‘’I also need to maintain my good form to stay as a regular in the national team.’’
The final group matches on Feb 5 will determine which two teams advance to the semi-finals. Terengganu will take on BG Pathum United, while PSM Makassar will face Thanh Hoa, who are currently fourth in the group with six points.
Meanwhile, Terengganu are coping with a packed schedule, as they will play their next fixture against JDT in the Super League on Saturday.
From Jan 17-25, they would have played nine games and that could impact the fitness of players but Safawi is taking some good advice by coach Badrul Afzan Razali to stay in top condition.
“He told us to sleep well, have a proper diet and make sure to rest a lot. That’s the best way for us to recover from such a tight schedule.’’
