No miracle worker midfielder azam’s back, but it’s not a one-man show
PETALING JAYA: National midfielder Nor Azam Azih was hailed as a hero after Malaysia powered to a 3-2 win over Indonesia in Jakarta and then restricted United Arab Emirates (UAE) to a 2-1 win at home in the 2022 World Cup-2023 Asian Cup Group G qualifying campaign.
However, he knows he is no miracle worker.
Azam played key roles in the 3-2 win in Jakarta on Sept 5 and the narrow defeat to the UAE.
An ankle injury saw him miss the third group match against Vietnam which ended in a narrow 0-1 defeat at the My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Oct 10.
The 24-year-old has made a full recovery and is back with the Harimau Malaya for their next two qualifying matches against Thailand on Nov 14 and Indonesia (Nov 19) at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
And he is being realistic. “Many expect my presence to have a positive impact on the team and it does increase the pressure on me ... the fact is there are other capable players in the squad,” said the Maran local.
“We lost to Vietnam but the players overall didn’t play badly ... maybe it was tougher or our players got nervous in the away tie.
“I hope we can play our next two matches better and get maximum points at home.”
Azam said the team’s performance was a collective effort and asked supporters to trust the whole team’s ability.
Coach Tan Cheng Hoe’s men are currently fourth in the five-team group with three points from three matches.
Thailand top the group on better goal difference ahead of Vietnam although both have seven points.
UAE are third with six points while Indonesia are still without a point.
Cheng Hoe has called up new faces – Afiq Fazail of Johor Darul Ta’zim and Kedah captain Baddrol Bakhtiar – to add options in the midfield and will test the squad in a warm-up match against Tajikistan at the National Stadium on Saturday before the back-to-back Group G matches.
Azam said the presence of new faces like Afiq and the seasoned Baddrol could further strengthen the team.
“I’m injury-free now and I’m ready for the three games including the friendly match ... I do feel the pressure to perform but there are new players coming in so hopefully, we can help each other to get points for the country.”