KUALA LUMPUR: National Under-16 striker Fahim Akmal Zulkarnain refused to call himself a hero after his 89th-minute winner sealed a 2-1 victory over Singapore at the KLFA Stadium on Saturday.
The SM Taman Desa Skudai student’s late strike kept Malaysia’s hopes alive in Group E of the Under-17 Asian Cup qualifiers, sparing them from early elimination following an opening 2-0 defeat to Palestine.
Rather than taking the spotlight, Fahim credited the collective effort of his teammates for their triumph.
“Singapore’s defence was quite strong, so we used our speed advantage to get the result we wanted,” he said.
“My performance is not good enough yet, and I will try my best and give everything for myself and the team in the upcoming matches.”
Malaysia coach Shukor Adan was visibly relieved after his side secured their first points, though he admitted that a blunt attack remains a concern after several missed chances.
“Just like in our opening match against Palestine, we could not score despite controlling the game,” Shukor said.
“I have to give credit to the players for working tirelessly to grab the last-minute winner. Without this win, we would have been eliminated.”
However, Shukor warned his charges against getting carried away ahead of their remaining Group E fixtures against Guam at the same venue on Tuesday and India on Friday.
“We cannot get comfortable just because we beat Singapore. We must treat this as history and open a new chapter against Guam. What matters most is the players’ commitment right until the final match,” he added.
Malaysia sit fourth in Group E on three points, level with third-placed Singapore. Favourites India and Palestine lead the standings on six points each, while Guam sit bottom without a point.
With only the group champions advancing to the finals in Uzbekistan in May next year, Shukor’s side must win both remaining matches.