High-scoring Melaka out to blow more opponents away

First blood: Mohd Muhibuddin Moharam struck an early blow as he delivered the first goal in the very first minute for Melaka. — ArenaHokiMalaysia

PETALING JAYA: Expect more goals galore!

Striker Mohd Muhibuddin Moharam has promised to inflict more misery on their opponents as Melaka continue to go on a rampage in the Razak Cup.

Yesterday, they showed no mercy as they hammered Singapore 8-0 at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

It’s their second big win after thrashing Selangor 5-0 earlier. They have also beaten Penang 3-1.

They will take on Perlis tomorrow before playing Pahang and Police. Only the top two teams advance to the semis.

In the game against Singapore, the 22-year-old Muhibuddin struck an early blow as he delivered the first goal in the very first minute.

Mohd Nur Asyraf Ishak, however, was the toast with four goals in the 30th, 32nd, 36th and 44th minutes, all via penalty corners while the other contributors were Mohd Amirul Aiman Ariffin (52nd), Akmal Azaman (53rd) and Amirullah Zainol (57th).

Melaka topped Group B with nine points from three matches and are looking strong to reach the semi-finals.

Muhibuddin credited the team’s impressive run to coach Hazlan Hamzah.

“His tactics have been spot-on in every game. We are getting the wins because we follow his game plan diligently,” said the former national junior player.

“We need to stay consistent in the upcoming games to get into the semi-finals. For me, building momentum is important; we are scoring more goals in every game, which is good.”

He added that the four goals scored by Asyraf would inspire him to get more goals too.

“As a striker, I’ve been creating opportunities and getting penalty corners for my team. It was good to see Asyraf performing well,” he said.

“It has inspired me to score more goals.

“So far, I have scored two in the tournament and hope to add more.

“In terms of chemistry, the blend of young and old has been good for Melaka. We will only improve.”

His good showing may earn him a national call-up to play in the Azlan Shah Cup from Nov 15-25 in Ipoh.

“That’s the dream, but I have lots more work to do before I can get the attention of national coach A. Arulselvaraj,” added Muhibuddin.