Taking flight again
Partiban finds wind beneath his wings in KL
PETALING JAYA: From a winger with clipped wings at Perak to a City Boy now ready to take flight in the Malaysia Cup.
Things are looking up for J. Partiban after he left his state club Perak during the second transfer window, due to the Seladang’s failure to pay his wages on time, to join Kuala Lumpur.
With no more salary worries, the 28-year-old Partiban is a stable man enjoying his football again.
That security will help him tremendously to focus on helping KL make an impact in the Malaysia Cup competition starting on Friday.
The City Boys, who have won the Cup three times, are in Group A with Pahang, Penang and the second-placed Premier League team (yet to be confirmed).
Since joining Bojan Hodak’s outfit, Partiban has made six starts and three substitute appearances, providing two assists for KL to help them finish sixth in the Super League.
After settling in well, he hopes that the positive vibes in the team can lead to something successful in the Malaysia Cup.
“The security that the players have with this team helps them to concentrate on the game. No worry about salaries, and we’re all professionals – we just want to play football and win,” said Partiban, also a former Terengganu and Sarawak player.
“In the Malaysia Cup, our aim is to get to the knockout stage first. I believe we can do something even better after that.”
Partiban is more than ready to play his part on the flanks to lift KL to an impressive finish.
He has the experience of having played in a Malaysia Cup final in 2018 while donning Terengganu colours.
But there was no happy ending as the Turtles suffered the heartbreak of losing 4-1 on penalties to Perak after a thrilling 3-3 deadlock at the Shah Alam Stadium.