KUALA LUMPUR: Expect the South Korean media to ask: "Is Safawi Rasid playing?" when Malaysia meet their team in the Asian Cup next month.
Safawi was the man who sank South Korea, scoring a brace as the Malaysian Under-23 team won 2-1 in a huge upset at the 2018 Asian Games.
Six players from that Korean side, who went on to win the Asian Games gold despite the shocking loss to Malaysia, are in their team for the coming Asian Cup.
The six are Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung Min, Song Bum Keun, Jo Hyeon Woo, Kim Min Jae, Hwang Hee Chan and Hwang In Beom.
Safawi, 26, said he hopes to get an opportunity to do damage to the Taeguk Warriors again.
"If I'm given the
chance to play, I will give my best to score against a team who are ranked in the top 23 in the world," said Safawi, who is known to his fans as "Supawi" (playing on the word super).
"It's an opportunity for me to create a name for myself on a higher stage."
The winger was at the peak of his career in 2018-2019, making a clean sweep at the National Football Awards.
Harimau Malaya fans will hope that the left-footed assassin will be on target again against the Koreans.
On Sept 30, Safawi and his wife, Syifa Melvin, a social media influencer, welcomed their firstborn baby boy, Saif Sulaiman.