PETALING JAYA: It is a debut that national football striker Joao Figueiredo will never forget.
The newly-arrived Brazilian-born was the first to give Malaysia a goal in their 4-0 win against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup third round qualifier match at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
His superb debut goal and the overall experience of playing for Malaysia has whetted his appetite to keep meeting their future targets.
“I dreamed of a moment like that, I’m so happy,” said the 29-year-old.
“But most importantly to me, it was not just my goal to score, my aim was to win and realise the team’s target.
“Our team’s performance was excellent, but we can continue improving.
“We can’t be happy with just one game. Our target is bigger than this.”
During the clash against Vietnam, the second goal of the night came courtesy of another fresh face in the squad, Rodrigo Holgado, after which La’vere Corbin Ong and Dion Cools scored one each to end the night with three points for the team.
The National Stadium also saw over 60,000 fans witness Malaysia end their 11-year winless drought against Vietnam, and that atmosphere was something special for Figueiredo, who was also voted man of the match.
“Since my first day here, I have felt the warm welcome from the fans. To have over 60,000 fans in the stadium was amazing,” he said.
“We fight for the fans because they give us the motivation on the pitch to win.”
Having played his first football match in Asia, Figueiredo added that it does not differ from playing anywhere else in the world, but what mattered was things done on the pitch.
“Football is the same around the world. They (Vietnam) have quality, they fought a lot. But when we controlled the game, they did not have a chance against us.
“I think that was the key. We had control, and when the chance came, we scored,” he said.
