KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian football team striker Romel Morales was a picture of both joy and relief after he silenced his critics with a brace in the 5–1 thrashing of Laos in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 third-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old naturalised Colombian had endured much criticism for his barren run with the Harimau Malaya despite the team’s fine form this year.
Having fired blanks again in the first leg in Vientiane on Oct 9, expectations were high on Morales to deliver in the return fixture.
For much of the first half, he was effective as a target man but still struggled with his finishing.
The breakthrough, however, came in the 65th minute when he finished off a slick one-two move with his Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) teammate Arif Aiman Hanapi.
Morales struck again five minutes later, firing home after a neat layoff from wingback and captain Dion Cools to make it 3–1 and send the Bukit Jalil crowd into rapture.
“The most important thing is to stay focused, because as strikers, we live by scoring goals,” said Morales after the match.
“Even when things are tough, you have to keep believing, keep scoring, and help the team win.”
He admitted that the first half was challenging as Malaysia created but failed to convert their chances.
“We conceded, but we stayed united and showed character. In the second half, we changed our mindset and fought for the win.”
The brace was a much-needed confidence boost for Morales, who said he wanted to repay the faith shown in him.
“I really needed that goal for my confidence and for the team as everyone has been working so hard. When everyone performs well, the results come.” Morales also praised his attacking partners, particularly wingers Arif and Faisal Halim, with whom he combined superbly in the second half.
“It’s easy to play with them because they’re quality players. I know Arif very well from JDT, and even though I haven’t played much with Faisal, it was easy to connect with him too.”
