PETALING JAYA: New striker Hector Hevel could not have asked for a better start to his journey with the national football team after scoring the opener during their 2-0 win over Nepal on Tuesday.
Despite just spending a short time with the team since his arrival, the heritage player from Holland scored the first goal during their opening Group F match of the Asian Cup qualifiers at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Johor.
Although a little let down that his first goal was not recorded live on television during the match due to a technical issue, Hevel was still overjoyed after the win.
“It’s a shame, but I’m happy with the performance of the team. The goals came from a good attack,” said Hevel.
“Personally, it’s like one of the best days of my life. To be playing for the country is something special.
“I’m happy to have gotten the support from the fans, and happier that we were able to give them a win and make them proud of us,” he said.
Hevel scored in the 29th minute while Corbin Ong doubled the lead in the 70th minute.
The Dutch-born player, who plays for Portimonense in the Portuguese League, joined Peter Cklamovski’s squad a week before the match, but getting used to things wasn’t too hard for Hevel.
“My teammates and the staff have helped me so much to adapt here. The communication and training on the pitch allowed me to adapt as best as I could,” he said.
Meanwhile, Corbin Ong was also pleased with the win, stating that it marked a positive start for the national team, although there were many new elements within the team.
“Everything went well, and most importantly, we got a meaningful win for Malaysia,” he said.
“The team have not had much time to work together yet. We’ve only been training for a week. But the coach has started implementing his playing philosophy.”
Malaysia are now second in Group F with equal points with Vietnam at the top, who they will play next on June 10. The group winners will qualify for the Asian Cup.
