FAISAL HALIM CAN RECOVER, NOT END OF CAREER - SHAHRIL

SHAH ALAM, May 8 (Bernama) -- The unfortunate fate that befell Harimau Malaya and Selangor FC winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim, who suffered serious injuries after being attacked with acid , does not mark the end of his career.

This confidence was expressed by Selangor FC Board Member Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar, who noted that Mohamad Faisal, better known as Faisal Halim, has a chance to recover based on the evaluation of specialist doctors.

However, Shahril, who is also Selangor Football Association (FAS) deputy president, anticipated that the 26-year-old Red Giants’ key forward might require a considerable amount of time before regaining optimal performance.

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"From what I saw today and what the doctors have informed, I am confident that Mickey (the nickname of Mohamad Faisal among fans) will recover, but it's important to remember that the trauma he experienced is not easy to overcome.

"One is in terms of physical recovery, which is ongoing, and the other is his psychological state. I believe it will take at least six months for him to recover—not to his full fitness level but at least to a level where he can start  to play," he said when met at a private hospital here today.

When asked if fans would be able to see Mohamad Faisal returning to his previous form, Shahril said: "I can't guarantee that—only God can. But deep inside, I am hopeful, insya-Allah, because everyone knows that he's a small guy with a big spirit, and that's his strength."

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Earlier, Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who is also the Chairman of Selangor FC, spent about 30 minutes visiting Mohamad Faisal, who is reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital, this morning.

Last Sunday, the local football scene was shocked by the incident in which Faisal Halim was injured from an acid attack at a shopping centre in Petaling Jaya.

He was confirmed to have suffered fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body and undergone his .first surgery on Sunday night. His movement and speech were also limited.

The player, who won the Best Goal Award at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar last January, is expected to be sidelined for at least five or six months, missing out on two matches in the second round of the World Cup 2026/Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan next month.

The incident was the second tragic event affecting a national player after Terengganu FC loan player Muhammad Akhyar Abdul Rashid was injured on the head and leg after being attacked by two robbers at his residential area in Kuala Terengganu last Thursday.

The attacks on national football players have taken a new turn as Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) player Safiq Rahim came under attack by two men on a motorcycle who smashed the rear window of his car with a metal hammer in Johor Bahru on Tuesday.

-- BERNAMA