Shahrul aims to continue red-hot streak against mighty Thais
PETALING JAYA: It has been a fantastic year for Shahrul Mohd Saad, and he wants to end it with a bang.
The 25-year-old centreback helped his club Perak finish second in the Malaysian Super League and followed this up with the Malaysia Cup triumph in thrilling fashion against East Coast side Terengganu.
Shahrul wants to continue his winning streak by lifting the AFF Suzuki Cup trophy next.
“I want to end my season well. Winning the Malaysia Cup with my home team Perak was the icing on the cake. Now, it is time to add the cherry on top by winning the AFF Suzuki Cup with Malaysia,” said the Perak vice-captain.
However, winning the trophy is by no means an easy task as they have to beat favourites Thailand in the two-leg semi-final, which will be held on Dec 1 in Kuala Lumpur and Dec 5 in Bangkok.
Calling it a tough match for Malaysia, Shahrul admitted that Thailand have better technique and finishing.
“Thailand have been great in this tournament but they too can make mistakes. We have to capitalise on those mistakes.
“We have watched their games and one of our teammates (Shahrel Fikri Fauzi) has played in the Thai League too.
“He has shared some insights, which is great for us. Their attackers Supachai Jaided and Adisak Kraisorn are pretty dangerous, so our defence will have to be really careful.
“Discipline is key for this game. Semi-finals will be different because it is do-or-die for both teams. Thailand may be favourites but anything can happen in this kind of match,” said Shahrul, whose brother Syamsul Mohd Saad was a former international defender for Malaysia.
Shahrul has so far started in all the group stage games with Aidil Zafuan Abdul Razak and has been impressive with his positioning, interceptions and tackles.
In the AFF Suzuki Cup, Shahrul is currently one of the top passers in the tournament as he attempted 257 passes and completed 217 in four games – bringing his passing accuracy to an impressive 84% and making about 64 passes every 90 minutes.
Also known for his solid build and ability to read the game well, the defender has featured for Malaysia 23 times and scored a goal in a friendly against Cambodia in September.
The former Harimau Muda player is happy with his performance so far but believes he can do better.
“Game by game, I have improved a lot. This season has been my best season so far and it is a motivation for me to do well in this tournament.
“Home advantage is good and the fans have been brilliant. The Thai side are used to big crowds but the atmosphere here will be different. Our plan is to win and not concede goals,” said Shahrul.