A touch of Liverpool in Man Utd's downfall at Bukit Jalil
Reserve goalkeeper Haziq Nadzli played in the last 10 minutes and tasked with protecting the Asean X1's 1-0 lead over the Red Devils.
This he did, and Haziq found himself part of the Asean side that achieved a famous win over the 20-time English champions in the Maybank Challenge Cup.
After the match, when interviewed by the host broadcaster, Haziq said: "I don't idolise any United players, because I'm Liverpool."
And he cheekily said he had a hand in Man Utd finishing the season without a trophy, not even the Maybank Challenge Cup, which was supposedly easier to win than any of the trophies in England.
"It was a short time together with the team, I managed to adapt quickly. But honestly, as a goalkeeper, it's stressful. If United had scored, I'd be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
"So I just focused fully, for that 10 minutes of madness," he said.
After his Man Utd experience, Haziq could be called into action against Vietnam in a crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Vietnam on June 10 at the very venue where he denied the Red Devils.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
'We were outclassed,' Sze Fei-Izzuddin concede after defeat
KUALA LUMPUR: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani lost it lock, stock and barrel in Tokyo on Sunday, and they had no complaints. The Malaysian men's doubles pair were simply outpaced and outclassed by newly-crowned Japan Open champions Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea, who lived up to their billing as the sport's fastest-rising duo. Their 21-16, 21-17 defeat in just 38 minutes meant Malaysia finished the Super 750 tournament without a single title. Earlier in the day, women's doubles world No. 3 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah also fell in straight games to China's world No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning. It was an especially painful blow for defending champions Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who will now make way for Won Ho-Seung Jae as the new world No. 1 pair when the BWF rankings are updated on Tuesday. "They were just very fast and too good, although we tried to catch up with their speed," said Sze Fei at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. "We had nothing to prove — we just wanted to play our best and enjoy the game." Tokyo had been the launchpad for their golden run last year — with titles at the China Open, Arctic Open, and India Open following shortly after — a streak that eventually pushed them to the world No. 1 spot on May 27. But their reign will end after just eight weeks, with the pair now set to drop to No. 3, behind compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik. Izzuddin admitted they were overwhelmed by the blistering pace of the Koreans. "We tried to match their speed, but they managed to stay ahead," said Izzuddin. "We just have to be better prepared and focus more on improving our game." Their coach Teo Kok Siang praised his charges for their run to the final — their first since winning the India Open in January. "In this tournament, we gave it our all. Credit to the players for their effort and performance," said Kok Siang. "We'll keep pushing forward and work even harder to achieve better results in the future." Roles will be reversed in China next week. Sze Fei-Izzuddin will now look to defend their China Open crown, while the new world No. 1 Won Ho-Seung Jae begin their reign at the Super 1000 event in Changzhou on Tuesday.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
FIFA ban until 2027? Indonesian pundit drops bombshell on Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: Could Malaysia be slapped with a FIFA suspension until 2027? That's the explosive claim made by Indonesian football pundit Justinus Lhaksana, better known as Coach Justin, who has accused the FA of Malaysia (FAM) of bypassing international eligibility rules through the questionable naturalisation of South American players. In a recent episode of his podcast "Bukan Bincang Sepak Bola Biasa", Justin alleged that Malaysia are already suspended by FIFA for fielding players with "fabricated lineage" — though no such confirmation has come from world football's governing body or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). "Malaysia are still allowed to play in the Under-23 Asean Championship because it's not recognised by FIFA. But they're suspended until 2027," he claimed on the HY Sport YouTube channel. According to Justin, five players who previously played in Brazil were brought into the national team under the guise of having Malaysian ancestry. "The federation (FAM) claimed they had Malaysian ancestors. If that's true, it should be easy to prove with documents," he said. "Otherwise, it looks like they're playing the system. And it seems they will be appealing." His comments appear to refer to Malaysia's decision to debut five foreign-born players — Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Jon Irazabal, Joao Figueiredo and Rodrigo Holgado — in a FIFA match day clash against Vietnam on June 10, which ended in a thumping 4-0 win for Peter Cklamovski's side. What has made the accusation even more incendiary is Justin's comparison with Indonesia, claiming his country follows strict rules on lineage verification. "In Indonesia, we trace a player's ancestry two or three generations back, with birth certificates and everything," he said. "Look at our players — (Shayne) Pattynama, (Joey) Pelupessy, (Ragnar) Oratmangoen, (Stefano) Lilipaly, even Emil Audero — all clearly have Indonesian blood." The claims have sent social media into overdrive, coming at a time when Malaysia's aggressive recruitment of foreign talent has already raised eyebrows. However, AFC has already poured cold water on any talk of a brewing scandal. On July 4, AFC general-secretary Datuk Seri Windsor Paul dismissed speculation that Malaysia are under investigation for fielding ineligible players, confirming that no complaint had been received regarding the June 10 match. "Eligibility matters fall strictly under FIFA's jurisdiction," he said. FAM, through secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, also denied any wrongdoing, stressing that the association had complied fully with international guidelines and had not received any communication from FIFA or the AFC.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Team captain optimistic after Davis Cup success
KUALA LUMPUR: Davis Cup captain Adam Jaya believes his charges' strong performances in the Asia-Oceania Group IV competition which concluded on Saturday (July 19) bodes well for Malaysia's hopes in upcoming competitions. Malaysia topped Pool A in the competition after routing Nepal, Iraq and Kyrgyzstan - beating them all 3-0 - before downing Qatar 2-0 in the promotional playoff at the National Tennis Centre here on Saturday to secure promotion to Group III next year. Promotion was a relief for both Malaysian fans as well as the national body, Tennis Malaysia (TM). The squad was relegated from Group III last year. Malaysia had never competed in Group IV, which is the second lowest tier, prior to this. National team head coach Muliyadi Jamal opted to field a relatively young squad this year, featuring Darrshan Kumar, 18, Daniel Prickett (20), Leroy Yong (21), Naufal Kamaruzzaman (23) and Koay Hao Sheng (26). They dropped only one set throughout the whole competition. Adam hopes the players can continue their fine form at the Thailand Sea Games (Dec 9-20) as well as next year's Davis Cup. "Now that the job (promotion) is done, I believe we have a good group of players ahead of the Sea Games," said Adam yesterday (July 19). "We have the momentum now. I hope the players will continue to train and also compete in tournaments to maintain their form. "With this group of players, as well as a few who are not here, I believe we can be competitive at the Sea Games as well as in (Davis Cup) Group III next season. "We have been playing in Group III for many years so we know what it takes to stay there or to win it. We have the experience. "We, however, need to make sure our best players are available as Group III is an even tougher competition (compared to Group IV)." Southeast Asian heavyweights Thailand and Indonesia competed in Group III this year alongside Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Vietnam, Syria, Jordan, Sri Lanka and Cambodia. National team stalwart Hao Sheng was dependable as always, winning all four of his matches for Malaysia in Group IV this year despite feeling ill during his match against Kyrgyzstan's Mirgiiaz Mirdzhaliev. Darrshan was arguably the most outstanding player among the younger players in the squad, displaying outstanding court coverage, variety of shots and a solid serve which belies his diminutive physique. He thumped Iraq's Akam Bakr 6-1, 6-1 during the group stage before securing promotion for Malaysia with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 win over Qatar's Mossa Alharrasi. "He moves very well, this is his weapon but Darrshan also has good variety in his shots which are also quite powerful, this surprised many of his opponents," said Adam. "For a smaller player, he also has a very good serve." Darrshan will be leaving for the United States later next month to join the University of North Dakota where he will study biomedical engineering and play collegiate tennis. University of North Dakota is an NCAA division one school. Adam, who is also a former national coach, added that he is prepared to continue in his role as Davis Cup team captain next season. "Tennis has always been my passion and my love for the game will always remain the same," said Adam. "If I am offered the role of team captain, I will definitely accept it. My schedule is quite busy as I also have a business to manage but I will definitely find a way if my country needs me."
