IPOH, March 14 — Former Perak player Nazirul Naim Che Hashim, who lifted the 2018 Malaysia Cup, has traded his football boots for the coffee machine at his own Twenty One Cafe after an injury brought his playing career to an end.

Nazirul Naim, who played as a left-back for the national squad Harimau Malaya, retired from professional football in 2024 at the age of 31 after suffering a serious knee cartilage injury while playing for KL City FC, marking a turning point in his life.

“I suffered an injury, and my contract ended in 2023. During my recovery period, I had no income,” he told Bernama.

The Kuala Kangsar native, who once played for Japan’s FC Ryukyu and Sabah FC, said he initially helped his wife sell curry noodles and laksa after retiring before venturing into the beverage business.

Nazirul Naim, 33, said he established the ‘Street 21 Coffee’ brand on a small scale at Jalan Carlos, Canning Garden, selling beverages before teaching himself about coffee via YouTube and guidance from friends to grow his business.

He later shifted to a mobile business concept, using a van to sell coffee in several locations around Ipoh as early as 7.30 am.

“This challenging daily routine went on for six months to raise capital to purchase more advanced coffee equipment and expand the business to cater to coffee lovers around Ipoh,” he said.

His dream to own a cafe was realised with the opening of Twenty One Cafe in Meru in January, operating daily from 4 pm to midnight. The cafe’s name was inspired by the jersey number Nazirul Naim wore throughout his football career.

The father of two said that although he does not hold formal barista certification, he learned the craft through YouTube before investing nearly RM100,000 to set up his dream cafe.

Although he misses playing on the pitch, Nazirul Naim described his shift into business as a 360-degree change that brought new satisfaction.

“Honestly, I do miss it and still follow the local football, but when I think about the issues I faced before, like salary problems, I want to give my full commitment to what I’m doing now,” he said.

He also urged young players to plan for the future and not rely solely on football, which has a short career span.

“We only have contracts for a fixed period, and I hope that once our playing career ends, we already know what we want to do next,” he added. — Bernama