.JPG "Malaysian player, Luqman Hakim, chases after the ball during the AFC U16 Championship against Thailand at Bukit Jalil Stadium, September 23, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Azneal Ishak")
SEPANG, Aug 21 — National junior striker Luqman Hakim Shamsudin, 17, hopes to set aside the national team’s disappointment of ending up as bridesmaids in Monday’s Asean Football Federation (AFF) Under-18 Championship final in Vietnam.
Despite the defeat and his feeling of dissatisfaction at not being able to help the team clinch the championship, the Kota Baru-born player said that his passion for the game still burns bright.
In the final held at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Malaysia lost to Australia 0-1 with a 79th minute goal by Lachlan Ricky Brook settling the tie, extinguishing the Malaysians’ hopes of retaining the title won last year.
Luqman, who caught the attention of Malaysian fans when he scored two goals against Australia in an earlier 3-0 group stage win, does not want to dwell on the praise received but instead aims to focus his efforts on the future.
“I want the team to qualify for the AFC Championships and my main mission is to help Malaysia get to the World Cup,” stressed the youngster, who is a product of the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), when met at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) last night.
The charges of interim head coach Brad Maloney will next participate in the qualifiers for the AFC Under-19 Championship, which will take place in Cambodia from Nov 2 to 10, where the team have been drawn in Group G with Thailand, Brunei, the Northern Mariana Islands and the host country. — Bernama
