KUALA LUMPUR: In-form N. Thanabalan is bemused that fans are comparing him with former German international Gerd Muller and England’s Wayne Rooney following his goal scoring exploits in the 2017 Sea Games.
The 22-year-old, however, does not want to get carried away. He is keeping his fingers crossed that the scoring momentum he has built will continue as he wants to help Malaysia win the Sea Games gold medal.
Two goals in Monday’s 3-1 win over Myanmar have taken the 22-year-old’s tally to three goals so far in only two appearances (one start and one as a substitute). He missed the 2-1 win over Brunei last week due to a knee injury.
“I have been converted from a right winger to a striker in the Sea Games according to the 3-4-3 formation. It has done wonders for me,” said Thanabalan.
“Many are comparing me with Muller and Rooney…it is an honour, but I am nowhere their standards at the moment.
“I am a level-headed person who will not get carried away with success. The mission is to retain Malaysia’s football gold medal, and my focus is only on that.
“As a striker, you need to be at the right place at the right time. Timing is important. When a cross comes in, you need to be inside the penalty box to finish it off.
“I always give my 100 per cent in matches. I not only score but also contribute significantly in other areas as required.”
On the final Group A match against Laos, Thanabalan said: “Whether I play or not, we need to do our best in this match and win it to maintain our momentum in the semi-finals.”
Thanabalan’s partner in attack, Safawi Rasid is also enjoying a good streak with two goals in three matches.
“The team are feeling confident and eager to win matches. We must forget about Myanmar and focus on the next game,” said Safawi.
Malaysia played to tactics and were an efficient unit, except for the final minutes when Myanmar took advantage of captain Adib Zainuddin’s poor back pass to reduce the deficit.
Adib, a centre-back, has promised to avoid making mistakes in following matches.
“I am slightly disappointed as I made a mistake that led to Myanmar’s late goal. Mistakes in football is normal, but I will try not repeat it,” said Adib.
National youth coach Ong Kim Swee praised his team for the win on Monday but lamented that the players need to improve on their concentration in closing stages of matches.
“All the goals we have conceded so far were from our own mistakes. We need to work on this as it will be tougher to recover from mistakes as the tournament progresses.
“Adib is sorry for his mistake but it shows we need to be cautious with our passing game in our defensive third,” said Kim Swee.
On the upcoming match against Laos, Kim Swee said he will look at the injuries and fitness levels of players before deciding on the line-up.
“We need to continue winning to keep the momentum. It does not really matter who we meet in the semi-finals. As long we stick to our plan in each game, we will have a chance to go far,” Kim Swee added.