DIFFICULT FOR FAIZ TO MAKE COMEBACK
Fifa World Best Goal winner finds M-League doors shut
DESPITE his world wide fame, Faiz Subri is finding it hard to make a return to the M-League. Faiz, who won the 2016 Fifa World Best Goal award, announced his retirement in February.
But the 32-year-old forward is trying to get back into the game during the M-League’s second transfer window from May 2-May 29.
Following an invitation from the Penang FA (PFA), Faiz attended trials with their Premier League team last week, but he failed to get a contract.
The PFA still wanted to give Faiz a second chance after he wasn’t able to impress them during the first trials in January. After all, he has put Penang’s name on the world football map with his super goal.
PFA president Dr Amar Pritpal
Abdullah said he felt sorry for Faiz for his current predicament.
He said PFA tried their best to help Faiz but at the same time they have to follow procedures and rules.
“Faiz came for the selection trials at the start of the 2019 season but the then chief coach Ahmad Kamal and his people were not impressed with his performance. He couldn’t get a place in our team.
“Again for the selection trials during the second transfer window, I made sure Faiz was called, which he attended last week.”
According to Dr Amar, the Kedah-born player looked to be out of shape, and he may not have been keeping fit in the past four months.
Penang chief coach Manzoor Azwira Abdul Wahid confirmed Faiz attended the trials last week but this week he did not show up.
Manzoor said Faiz, at the moment, is not in his plans, as he has already secured the services of striker-cum attacking midfielder Sergio Aguero of Argentina,
“I am quite happy with our present frontline. So decisions need not be made hastily. Moreover, we have about two weeks to make the final decision.
“For the moment I am looking at beefing up the other departments which need more attention, rather than the strikeforce,” said Manzoor.
Faiz, who said in February he had gone back to his hometown in Jitra, Kedah, to start a business, declined to comment when contacted.
Three months ago, after failing to get a team for the 2019 season, Faiz told NST Sport that he was still capable of good football for a couple more years.
Faiz was harbouring hopes that he could still get an offer during the second transfer window but it seems things have not been going his way.
It is learnt that Faiz had also attended trials with other teams, including Perlis and Felda United but he failed to get a contract.
On Feb 16, 2016, when playing for Penang, Faiz scored a physicsdefying free kick goal (which won him the Fifa Puskas award) against Pahang in a Super League match at City Stadium.