Parti will play his part
Rejuvenated winger vows to help Perak reach AFC Cup
PETALING JAYA: Perak’s J. Partiban was on the outside looking in when the suspended Super League resumed on Aug 28.
And the winger, who was nursing a hamstring injury, remembers it well as he felt the agony of watching his team lose to Melaka (1-0) and thrashed by Johor Darul Ta’zim (7-0).
For the player fondly known as Parti, it was certainly not a time to celebrate as he was gutted that he could not help his teammates.
And in their third match, the 27-year-old was back in the team and raring to unleash his talent. He pushed himself hard and Perak got back to winning ways, beating UiTM (1-0), Police (2-0) and Felda United (5-1).
Against Pahang last week, Perak were trailing 0-3 in the first half. But after the break, a rejuvenated Partiban was the toast of the team when he scored two stunning goals (47th, 92nd) and made a vital move that allowed Shahrel Fikri Md Fauzi to score his 10th goal of the season in the 84th minute as Perak got a valuable away point.
The team have moved up to third spot and will get to compete in the AFC Cup if they beat second placed Kedah at home on Saturday.
And Partiban wants to continue his experience of playing on the Asian stage. Last year, Perak were involved in the AFC Champions League playoffs against Asia’s top sides Kitchee of Hong Kong and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai.
“The two goals against Pahang were a confidence booster for me. Those goals happened because of our desire to win and our great teamwork. We must bring that mentality against Kedah.
“We want the Asian spot. It’s not just for us players but for the fans who have to watch the matches from their homes due to these difficult times,” said Partiban.
“The players now believe that they can prevail even when the chips are down. We’ll keep on fighting no matter what, this is what Perak are all about.
“Now that I’m injury free, rest assured I will give my all. We want the AFC Cup slot and to go all the way in the Malaysia Cup.”