Singapore, October 10: Selangor FC captain Faisal Halim is refusing to rest on his laurels as the goal-scoring winger continues his battle back to peak fitness for the Malaysia Super League side in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ and the national team’s international campaign.
The 27-year-old led from the front and was instrumental in Selangor’s 4-2 win over Tampines Rovers FC on Matchday Two of the competition, with his performance on the left wing earning the Shopee Star of the Match award as Selangor sit on top of Group A with four points. Faisal also scored a goal in Malaysia’s 3-0 win over Laos in the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Qualifiers Final Round Group F tie on Thursday.
“I’ve just come back and I want to find a good performance,” said Faisal, who had a hand in two of Selangor’s goals at the MBPJ Stadium. “I need to work more, fight more to be a better player, to be a better team with Selangor.
“Even if I’ve scored a goal, the most important thing is the team. If I score and we lose, it means nothing. We go out there, and we fight for our friends, we fight for our families, we fight for ourselves, and we fight for our club. Even if we can’t run any more, we still run.”
Over the last 18 months, Faisal has shown his determination to return to prominence as he has sought to overcome significant injuries sustained during an acid attack in May 2024 in an incident that threatened to bring a premature end to the Malaysia international’s career at the time.
Faisal suffered burns to his neck, shoulder, hands and chest in the unprovoked assault by an as-yet unknown perpetrator in Petaling Jaya, a township in the state of Selangor, that garnered global headlines and messages of support from major names within the sport.
He was sidelined for several months, undergoing four surgeries before returning for Selangor while wearing a protective mask in August last year, when he received a rousing reception from the club’s fans as he was introduced from the bench against Kelantan FC.
A string of substitute appearances followed for Faisal as he continued his rehabilitation until he started for the first time since his injury on January 12, captaining the team in a 1-0 win over Kuala Lumpur City FC in the Malaysia Super League.
By the latter stages of last season, Faisal, who was an established Malaysia international prior to the attack and represented the country at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, was playing regularly once more for the Selangor side.
In March he scored his first goals since his return, netting a hat-trick in the 7-0 thrashing of Kelantan ahead of the Red Giants finishing in the runners-up slot behind perennial Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim FC.
The former Penang FC, Sri Pahang FC and Terengganu FC winger, known as Mickey by club mates, has continued to improve his form and increase his influence on the team as his confidence returned.
He has scored six times in 13 matches in all competitions so far this season, including an eye-catching far-post finish against Tampines Rovers as he showed the pace and awareness to latch onto Zach Clough’s perfectly weighted pass from the right.
Faisal also scored in the AFC Champions League Two against Lion City Sailors FC from Singapore, a Shopee Cup™ participating club, while also netting twice in two matches in the Malaysia FA Cup, and his form has earned a return to the national team for this month’s AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos.
“As a captain, I can only give my teammates spirit and motivation,” said Faisal of his role within the squad. “What is important is that our Selangor team is one family.
“Different competition, different match, different ball game – every match is different; we bring our best to every match.
“We fight for the club, for ourselves individually, everyone who supports Selangor – that is the main priority for the team.”
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