PETALING JAYA: Most players nearing 40 would be considered past their prime but nationalised forward Paulo Josue is still setting the pitch on fire.
At 37, Josue was a pivotal player in the national team’s recent two victories in the Hyundai AFF Cup and Harimau Malaya will rely on him again in their Group B match against Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium tonight.
The Brazilian-born striker acknowledged that the team’s next opponent would bring them a far greater challenge but was still confident in the team’s abilities.
“Thailand are a strong team, so we must perform well,” he said.
“However, football is unpredictable, and even the weakest teams can beat the giants. So, let’s see what happens.”
In the game against Myanmar last Saturday, the boys in yellow found themselves heading for a loss before their captain scored two goals in the space of 10 minutes to turn the tide around.
Josue, who has 12 goals in his 27 caps for the national team, demonstrated his finishing prowess once again on Tuesday as he broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time to spur the team on to a 4-0 win.
With three goals so far, Paulo is currently the team’s top scorer and he attributed his recent form to interim coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s belief in him.
“I’m grateful for his confidence in me and making me captain. Thankfully, everything has gone smoothly.”
He also mentioned how the past two results have taken some pressure off as the team look to qualify for the semi-finals.
“We’ve six points already, so a draw (in Bangkok) is not the worst outcome.
‘‘Every point counts to get us through.”
