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'Kecik' tak sabar gegar Lahore


IRFAN (tengah) meraikan jaringannya ketika menentang Pakistan di Stadium Shah Alam malam kelmarin. Malaysia menang 2-0.

SEMANGAT pemain sayap skuad Olimpik kebangsaan, Wan Zaharulnizam Wan Zakaria kini semakin membara. Pemain yang turut dikenali sebagai ‘Kecik’ itu menjaringkan gol pertama Malaysia ketika menewaskan Pakistan 2-0 pada aksi pertama pusingan pertama Kelayakan Olimpik 2012 di Stadium Shah Alam kelmarin.

Gol kedua Malaysia pada perlawanan tersebut dijaringkan pemain tengah, Irfan Fazail.
Menurut Wan Zaharulnizam, 20, dia sudah tidak sabar menunggu aksi kedua di tempat lawan dan kini terus bekerja keras untuk meningkatkan tahap kecer- gasannya agar terus mendapat kepercayaan jurulatih skuad Olimpik kebangsaan, Ong Kim Swee.

“Selepas pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali, saya baru dapat beraksi sepenuh masa dalam dua perlawanan bersama skuad Harimau Muda A iaitu ketika menentang T-Team dan Perlis.
“Jadi pada aksi bertemu Pakistan se- malam (kelmarin), tahap kecergasan saya sebenarnya masih kurang tetapi alhamdulillah saya berjaya juga menja- ringkan satu gol.

“Memang jaringan tersebut meningkatkan tahap keyakinan diri dan saya harap dapat meng- ulangi pada aksi kedua di Lahore pada 9 Mac depan,” katanya ketika dihubungi Kosmo! semalam.

Ditanya tentang bekalan dua gol ke Lahore, pemain kelahiran Tumpat, Kelantan itu berkata, ia memang sedi- kit mengecewakan tetapi yakin Malaysia mampu mara ke pusingan kedua.

“Memang agak kecewa. Peluang kami pada perlawanan tersebut memang banyak tetapi gagal disudahkan dengan baik. Apa pun, dari sudut positif kami berjaya menguasai sepenuhnya permainan tersebut.

“Jadi kami akan mempersiapkan diri dari segi mental kerana apa pun boleh terjadi pada aksi kedua. Kami tetap perlu berhati-hati kerana Pakistan pasti mahu menggunakan kelebihan beraksi di gelanggang sendiri,” ujarnya.

Pemain skuad Olimpik kebangsaan semalam kembali ke pasukan masing- masing untuk dua aksi Liga Super sebelum mereka kembali menjalani lati- han pusat di Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya, Rabu depan.
Andai berjaya melepasi Pakistan, skuad muda negara ini akan melangkah ke pusingan kedua yang dijadualkan ber- langsung pada 19 dan 23 Jun depan.

Malaysia bakal diundi bertemu salah satu pasukan yang mendapat bye pada pusingan pertama sama ada Australia, Bahrain, China, Korea Utara, Korea Selatan, Jepun, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, Arab Saudi, Syria, Uzbekistan atau Vietnam.


Oleh WAN FAKHRUL BAKAR
fakhrul@kosmo.com.my

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