NEW ‘SPIDERMAN’ ASCENDS
Perak custodian Hafizul impresses in AFC Champions League qualifiers
PERAK goalkeeper Hafizul Hakim Khairul Nizam Jothy is the new ‘Spiderman’ of Malaysian football. The Marvel comic character was previously associated with the late R. Arumugam, who was the nation’s top goalkeeper in the 1970s and 80s.
However, Hafizul can now lay claim to the tag following his recent exploits for his club.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old Hafizul was in his element as he helped Perak advance to the third round of the AFC Champions League qualifiers.
Mehmet Durakovic’s side edged Hong Kong’s Kitchee 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Hafizul, who was Perak’s hero in last year’s Malaysia Cup final, saved Li Ngai Hoi and Dani Cancela's attempts from the spot to earn his side a trip to South Korea for the final qualifying match against Ulsan Hyundai on Tuesday.
Perak asserted their dominance in the game and broke the deadlock in the 14th minute through Wander Luiz’s header.
The Hong Kong side suffered a setback when Matt Smith was given his marching orders for using his hands to block Luiz’s effort.
Despite the advantage to Perak, Kitchee kept the home side at bay and finally found the equaliser in the 89th minute through Ngai Hoi to send the match into extra-time.
“It is an honour to be compared to the great Arumugam, but I am nowhere near his level at this point in time.
“Of course, I hope to achieve Arumugam’s level in years to come.
“There are many good goalkeepers in Malaysia. Farizal Marlias, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat and Haziq Nadzli are all better goalkeepers than me.
“However, I will keep on working hard to match them one day,” said Hafizul.
On the match, the custodian said: “It became tougher when they had one player sent off after 48 minutes.
“It, however, motivated us to work harder during the match.
“I managed to block two spot kicks during the penalty shootout. Maybe, I have good instincts,” he added.
A win over Ulsan, the 2012 AFC Champions League winners, will earn Perak a spot in the tournament proper, joining reigning Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim in the group stages.
As expected, Durakovic praised Hafizul and the others for their gallant performance.
“Hafizul was brilliant between the posts. He was composed during the penalty shootout to help Perak create history in their firstever appearance in this competition,” said Durakovic.
“However, the win is a team effort. My players in each department played to instructions and were disciplined in all aspects. It shows Perak can play good football.
“At first, I was worried about the condition of the players as they had played a Super League match last Friday. They are not machines and there were issues with fitness ahead of this game, but it all went well in the match.
“We are on a demanding schedule with commitments in the league and other competitions. It is tough as I do not have a very big squad.”
Perak have earned only a point from possible six in the Super League. They lost 1-0 to JDT in their opening match on Feb 2 before a 1-1 draw with Kedah last Friday.
They will play Kuala Lumpur at KLFA Stadium tomorrow.
It is an honour to be compared to the great Arumugam, but I am nowhere near his level at this point in time.