JDT hitman Safawi fired up for goals after dry spell.

PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim striker Safawi Rasid (pic) is confident of rediscovering his goalscoring touch in the Malaysia Cup semi-final first leg against Selangor on Saturday.

Safawi has been firing blanks in three matches with the national team in the 2022 World Cup-2023 Asian Cup Group G qualifiers.

But on the home front, the 22-year-old is currently the top scorer in the Malaysia Cup with seven goals. Teammates Diogo Santo and Gonzalo Cabrera trail with six goals each.

“I’m disappointed that I could not score for Malaysia. Sad to say, this thing happens but what is more important is never lose hope and keep on fighting. I know what I’m capable of and I’m sure the barren run will end soon,” said Safawi.

“The hardest thing about being a striker is to consistently find the back of the net. Since we broke camp with the national squad, I’ve been working hard at the club to be sharper in front of goal.

“But the good thing in JDT is that we also have reliable strikers in Santo and Cabrera.

“I learned a lot from them and the competition between us will only benefit JDT.”

Safawi added that Selangor are the surprise package in the competition and are capable of derailing the Super League champions’ hopes of a second title.

“We can’t underestimate them. They still have several good players who are capable of causing us problems.

“It’s always tough playing them and Saturday will be no different.

“We are playing at home, so we must get a comfortable advantage before the return leg in Shah Alam.”