BUKIT JALIL, Sept 20 — National Under-16 coach Lim Teong Kim has likened his charges’ 6-2 win over Tajikistan in their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-16 championships opening match to child birth.
Lim, who took over the team four years ago with the aim of gaining entry into the Fifa Under-17 World Cup next year, saw his main striker Luqman Hakim Shamsudin — wearing the No 10 jersey — score in the 30th, 42nd, 46th and 67th minutes and played a part in the two penalties scored by strike partner Najmudin Akmal in the 33rd and midfielder Alif Mutalib in the 75th minute to start their campaign in the best way possible.
“At this age group, despite one player standing out, everything is a collective, hence today was a team effort,” said Lim.
“Watching the game was like giving birth to a child. We’ve been preparing for this for four years so an emphatic win like this is excellent for morale,” added the former Bayern Munich Under-19 coach.
They next play Thailand on Sunday at 4.30pm and will be without the services of goalkeeper Sikh Izhan Nazrel who by all accounts had a superb turn in goal apart from a silly incident with less than five minutes left to play.
Sikh came off his line to grab a high ball in his own box. Instead of being cautious with his approach, he stuck a leg out high and in a dangerous manner towards Tajikistan’s striker Soirov Rustam and sent him sprawling on the ground.
As Rustam lay writhing in pain he had to be stretchered off the field while referee Ahmad Yacoub Ibrahim Ibrahim from Jordan had no choice but to brandish the red card at Sikh.
Despite the setback, Lim is not fazed.
“They’re still kids,” quipped Lim.
“And tomorrow when they wake up, they’ll still be kids so these mistakes are bound to happen. I had 45 players to trim to 23 for the competition and they are all aware of their duties.
“If you know my character then you must know that this team is a reflection of me. When the time comes for our next match we will be ready.”
