READY TO SCORE AGAIN

INSPIRING football film saw first-time actor Mohd Luqman Hafidz Mohd Fauzi playing hot-headed but gifted super striker Ahmad Ali.

Based on real-life striker Datuk Hassan Sani, the film saw the 26-year-old donning Hassan’s jersey 10. It highlighted Malaysia’s victory over South Korea in Stadium Merdeka to qualify for the 1980 Olympics.

Luqman is eager to reprise his role in Enfiniti Productions’ to be staged at Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur from Feb 22 till March 22.

“I identify with Ahmad Ali because both of us love what we do — football for him and acting for me,” he said at the launch of his new drama series at Platinum Sentral, Kuala Lumpurrecently.

“I was attracted to the role because of his honesty, dedication and passion for the game. We both also admire the late Datuk Mokhtar Dahari.”

Director Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina will have “a mix of old and new” in her cast.

“I’m the only one from the big-screen foot- ball team to audition. The others (J.C. Chee, M. Saran Kumar, Taufiq Hanafi, Eric Teng and Lim Jian Wen) are busy with acting projects or furthering their studies.

“Whether I get it or not, I’m glad I tried something new — acting and singing together,” said Luqman, who has been playing football for the Klang Valley team Prato FC since 2014.

He was also on the Ampang Teen Club prior to studying quantity surveying at the International Islamic University in Gombak from 2011 to 2014.

Luqman, who has no singing experience aside from the occasional karaoke sessions, said the cast would be receiving vocal training with rehearsals for the musical beginning November.

He is delighted that Altimet is scoring for the musical, as he is a fan of the award-winning producer, composer and hip-hop singer.

When asked about his other projects, Luqman said that he would be starring in a comingof-age love story centred on street musicians and college music students. It is titled

Directed by Syed Khairul Fariz, it also stars singer-songwriter Daiyan Trisha and Hafeez Mikail and opens in December.

He’ll also be in the horror comedy,

starring Sara Ali, Bocey and Cik Manggis of De Fam, which starts filming soon.

has been a fantastic intro to showbusiness but it’s time to take on other roles, preferably funny men or the occasional antagonist!”