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Safee galas tugas kapten?


PENJAGA gol Malaysia, Khairul Fahmi Che Mat (tengah) bersama Sharbinee Allawee Ramli (kiri) dan Nasril Nourdin giat berlatih di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil semalam.


PENYERANG sensasi negara, Mohd. Safee Sali hampir pasti menggalas tugas sebagai kapten skuad Harimau Malaya pada aksi menentang Singapura pada aksi kedua pusingan kedua Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2014 di Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil malam ini.

Biarpun bekas kapten, Aidil Zafuan Radzak turut menjadi calon untuk menjadi pemimpin di atas padang, Safee dianggap sebagai calon yang lebih layak berdasarkan beberapa kriteria.

Safee, 27, merupakan pemain paling tua di kalangan 24 pemain negara dan satu-satunya pemain yang berpengalaman luas beraksi di liga luar negara iaitu bersama kelab Pelita Jaya di Indonesia.
Selain itu, Safee turut memakai lilitan lengan setelah kapten, Safiq Rahim dilayangkan kad merah pada minit ke-49 ketika aksi pertama di Stadium Jalan Besar, Singapura Sabtu lalu.

"Kita tahu Aidil merupakan kapten sebelum Safiq. Tapi Aidil tak main pada dua perlawanan terakhir. Safee pula memiliki karakter, kesungguhan dan bertanggungjawab.

"Tapi hanya selepas sesi taklimat pasukan pagi esok (hari ini), saya akan buat keputusan rasmi siapa kapten," kata jurulatih Harimau Malaya, Datuk K. Rajagobal selepas sesi latihan di Stadium Nasional petang semalam.
Sementara itu, Safee berkata: "Sebagai pemain paling senior, kalau dipilih saya sedia pikul tanggungjawab selaku kapten. Saya tak rasa ia akan menjadi beban."

Aidil pula berkata: "Siapa kapten tak penting. Saya mahu lebih beri fokus untuk perlawanan, mahu beraksi baik dan menang. Tapi jika diberi tanggungjawab kapten, saya akan terima dengan positif."

Dalam pada itu, Rajagobal turut memberitahu: "Kami akan pakai jersi biru. Ia memberi tenaga. Tapi penyokong bebas nak pakai jersi kuning atau biru."



Oleh WAN FAKHRUL BAKAR
fakhrul@kosmo.com.my

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