KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Harimau Malaya’s winger, J. Partiban is ready to show his full potential if fielded in the Group G opening match in the second round of the 2022 World Cup / 2023 Asia Cup qualifier at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta on Sept 5.
The Perak midfielder who received his first international cap at the tier-one friendly match between Malaysia and Jordan at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Aug 30, in which the home team lost 0-1, acknowledged that he gained much from the national squad training session he underwent a few weeks ago.
At the same time, he noted that he has to adapt quickly to the tactics applied by Harimau Malaya coach, Tan Cheng Hoe compared to when he was with Perak in the Malaysian League competition.
“I have gained a lot of experience with the national squad since being called up for the centralised training for the first time and the head coach (Tan) gave me the chance to prove my potential when I was selected for Jakarta.
“I will continue to work hard to secure a place in the match against Indonesia, as the best will be fielded,” he told reporters when met at the Harimau Malaya squad training session at the National Sports Council field in Bukit Jalil here today.
Partiban also said he was ready to face the provocation by tens of thousands of Garuda squad supporters during the match in Jakarta.
“I have heard of this (Indonesian supporters’ provocation) but never felt it before. As a player, we need to be mentally strong,” he said, adding that it would be nice if he was given an additional role as backup striker.
After the match against Indonesia, Malaysia will be meeting the United Arab Emirates at the national stadium on Sept 10. — Bernama
