Prolific striker Safee Sali has will be the first Malaysian to get a bite of the cherry at Cardiff City Football Club after being offered a two-week trial.
The Pelita Jaya striker, who has been in scintillating for both club and country lately, has done enough to impress Cardiff City owner Datuk Chan Tien Ghee and merit a trial stint with the Welsh outfit from Sept 12 to 27.
Safee is the second Malaysian to be offered the trial. National team skipper Safiq Rahim was the first to land the deal, but due to his Malaysia Cup commitments with Selangor, the 24-year-old will only be flying off once the competition comes to a close.
Safee has often been compared to Malaysian great Mokhtar Dahari and touted as the best striker of his generation. The latest revelation was music to his years as he braces himself for what he said would be “the pinnacle of his career”.
“Every Malaysian football fan follows the English game and I’m no different. Even as a kid, I’ve always dreamt of one day plying my trade in the English league ... and now I have a chance to do that with this trial.
“The door has been opened for me. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am going to give it my all to prove my credentials,” said the 27-year-old Safee.
Meanwhile, Datuk Chan hopes more Malaysians would show worldly promise and potential to hit it big time in football.
“When Safiq managed to get a trial with Cardiff, there was a real good buzz around the club as well as in Malaysia. Now with Safee joining in the fray, hopefully the hype will be heightened and inspire our young and budding footballers to aim only for the sky.
“This effort will bode well for both the club and Malaysia. There’s a lot of talent back home and it’s time we start unearthing the gifted by giving them proper exposure. I think this could be the beginning of a revolution,” said Malaysian businessman Datuk Chan who took over the Cardiff City last year.
The Socceroos will reportedly play a friendly against world No.146 Malaysia in Sydney on October 7 ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Oman four days later.
The vice-president of the Football Association of Malaysia, Datuk Subahan Kamal, has been quoted as saying Malaysia will travel to Australia to play the Socceroos on the day before the scheduled start of the A-League season.
"We received an invitation to hold the national team friendly against Australia last week," he said on the team's official Twitter stream.
"The FAM agreed as it is difficult for us to be given the chance to play a team which played in the World Cup like Australia."
"We've never played Australia before and they have quality players like Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill. That's a big challenge."
"Australia have chosen us as the right team for their preparations for World Cup qualification."
Malaysia are already out of the running for World Cup qualification having lost to Singapore in qualification in late July.
Their highest-ever ranking was as world No.77 in 1993 and missed qualification for this year's Asian Cup.
They played in the 2007 Asian Cup as one of the four hosts but lost all three games, scoring just one goal and conceding 12.
FFA have been contacted for comment on the announcement from the FAM.
The reported timing of the match all but rules out FFA changing the A-League schedule to accommodate the much-anticipated debuts of Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton in the season opener between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC at Etihad Stadium. www.portal.com
Malaysia’s talismanic captain Safiq Rahim will fly off for a trial stint with Cardiff City Football Club once the curtains come down on the Malaysia Cup, which kicks off next month.
Following fruitful talks between Cardiff City chairman, Malaysian-born Datuk Chan Tien Ghee, and Safiq today, it has been confirmed that the Selangor player will spend three weeks on trial with the Welsh outfit as soon as the Red Giants’ Malaysia Cup campaign was over.
The 24-year-old Safiq has been a pivotal figure in the Malaysian top flight league for several seasons now. His reputation has blossomed remarkably since earning his first senior cap in 2007. Last year, he skippered the national team to its maiden AFF Suzuki Cup triumph.
Safiq further rose to prominence following outstanding performances against English Premier League giants Arsenal Football Club and Liverpool Football Club last month. The second match saw the Manchester United fan curl in a sublime freekick in a spirited match which Malaysia eventually lost 6-3.
With him reaching the peak of his career, the invitation for trials with Cardiff City could not have come at a better time for the midfielder who is hell-bent on grabbing the rare opportunity with both hands.
“I am very excited. With an open heart, I will take this offer and give it my best and do Malaysia proud. It’s not every day an opportunity like this comes knocking on your door, especially for a Malaysian. So, I’m fully intent on seizing this chance and making the most of what will be offered to me,” said Safiq.
Meanwhile, Datuk Chan, who took over the championship side in May last year, said he was optimistic that the trials would be a stepping stone for Malaysia as the country continued seeking to relive its glory days.
“We are glad Safiq has accepted our offer for a trial with the first team at Cardiff and we hope that everything turns out well for the boy. He’s young and ambitious … most importantly, he has whatever it takes to make the cut.
“My office has issued the letter of invitation to him and we will make all the arrangements for him at Cardiff. This is a chance for Safiq to pioneer Malaysian football to levels never reached before “ added Dato Chan
