Luqman Hakim Aims To Make An Impact If Fielded Against Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Negeri Sembilan FC striker Luqman Hakim Shamsudin is determined to seize the opportunity to impress if he is fielded for the last Group F match against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Nam Dinh on Tuesday (March 31).

Luqman Hakim, who is back in the Harimau Malaya squad after nearly four years, said head coach Peter Cklamovski's faith in him has boosted his confidence.

He also expressed his eagerness to help the team get all three points against Vietnam at the Thien Truong Stadium, although the Harimau Malaya are already out of the running for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals.

"The match against Vietnam is extremely important, because for me, this is about the country's dignity,” he said in a video clip the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) shared with the media today.

The 24-year-old, who last featured for the national team in a friendly against Singapore in March 2022, is also determined to make an impact against Vietnam to solidify his place in the Harimau Malaya squad.

He also attributed his recall to the Harimau Malaya squad to the increased playing time with Negeri Sembilan in the Malaysia League (M-League) this season, which led to improved performance and confidence.

So far, he has made 22 appearances with Negeri Sembilan in the M-League, contributing six goals and accumulating 1,659 minutes of playing time.

Vietnam, meanwhile, have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, leading Group F with 15 points, followed by Malaysia in second spot with nine points. Laos and Nepal are third and fourth, respectively, with three points each.

Malaysia's hopes of featuring in the Asian Cup Finals on merit for the second consecutive time were dashed after being docked points by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Recently, the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee found that FAM had breached Article 56 of the AFC Disciplinary and Ethics Code for fielding ineligible players in two Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Nepal and Vietnam.

The sanction imposed by the AFC follows the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which upheld FIFA's ruling on violations of rules governing the documentation of seven heritage players.

The seven players are Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel.

-- BERNAMA