PETALING JAYA: Zulhilmi Sharani grew up watching seasoned goalkeepers, and idolised Haziq Nadzli, who played a crucial role in Malaysia’s silver-medal finish at the 2017 SEA Games.
Eight years on, Zulhilmi, the 21-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim II goalkeeper, has followed in the footsteps of his hero by making his SEA Games debut in Thailand.
It was a debut to remember.
In Malaysia’s opening Group B match – a 4-1 win over Laos – Zulhilmi made several sharp stops to ensure the opponents did not add to their solitary goal.
He had a commanding presence and organised the defence with a maturity beyond his years. He also showed composure in set-piece situations, from arranging the wall to alerting teammates about their marking.
Zulhilmi is grateful for his journey so far in Thailand.
“Our journey has been going well even though the weather and the absence of certain teammates have been a bit challenging,” he said. “But I remain focused and use every training session to improve myself.”
He added that becoming a goalkeeper was a childhood dream.
“I started as a goalkeeper since I was little, and my idol is Haziq.”
Haziq plays for Kuching City in the Super League.
“I need to be consistent, increase my focus, and continue working hard to reach the level of the best goalkeepers in the country,” said Zulhilmi, whose journey to Thailand began not far away, in Perlis.
“I started playing in primary school, at SK Oran in Kangar, and then joined the Tunas Arau Academy before moving on to a higher level.”
His confidence boosted after his debut, the young custodian is determined to help the national team push further in the tournament.
“My goal is to help the team achieve victory against Vietnam,” he said.
Malaysia face Vietnam tomorrow, and need just a draw to qualify for the knockout stage.
