KUALA LUMPUR: The sharpness of her left foot, honed by her father since childhood, proved to be a potent weapon for young player Lim You as she scored seven goals to help the Malayan Tigress Under-17 squad thrash Saudi Arabia 9-0 in their Group A match of the 2026 Srikandi Merdeka Cup in Kudus, Indonesia on Tuesday.
Lim You said her father had trained her left foot extensively since she was young because there were not many left-footed players, regarding the advantage as a speciality that should be utilised through football.
In Tuesday's match, the 14-year-old scored all seven goals with her left foot, proving that the special touch nurtured by her father from a young age could be one of her most valuable assets in her debut with the national squad.
"Since I was little, my dad has been training my left foot a lot because not a lot of people are left-footed and it's just like a speciality kind of. I'm lucky to be left-footed.
"The seven goals, it's not all credit to me because my teammates got me the ball and I just helped finish the play," she told reporters during a virtual press conference organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) yesterday.
Meanwhile, Lim You said her debut with the national squad also came with some challenges as she admitted facing a language barrier initially because she was not very fluent in Malay.
However, the young player said she was grateful to have adapted well with her teammates and enjoyed her first experience with the national squad.
Lim You also admitted feeling a little pressure after attracting attention following her seven-goal feat, but her deep passion for football made her excited to continue playing regardless of the opponent.
"Honestly a bit, but football is like a game I really enjoy and I'm excited every single time I step onto the pitch no matter the opponent," she said.
Lim You was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States, while her parents were born and raised in Johor, giving the player, who now lives in Washington, close ties to Malaysia.
Lim You said her family still has relatives in Johor and Kuala Lumpur whom she frequently visits whenever she returns to Malaysia every two to four years.
The 165cm Lim You scored in the eighth, 22nd, 27th, 57th, 75th minute through a penalty, as well as the 83rd and 85th minutes.
The other two goals were scored by Putri Mia Alysa Ahmad Zakiyamani and Ku Nur Qaleysha Qaisara Ku Zainon in the 45+5th and 90+2nd minutes respectively to complete the national squad's 9-0 victory.
The win saw Malaysia finish as runners-up in Group A with four points, level with Hong Kong but advancing to the semi-finals on goal difference.
Malaysia had earlier opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Hong Kong before losing 0-3 to hosts Garuda Pertiwi.
Awaiting Malaysia in the semi-finals tomorrow are the Group B winners, with Thailand, Jordan and Singapore still in contention for the position ahead of the group's final matches today. - Bernama
