Terengganu’s Ismail Faruqi is prepared to start from the bench in the Malaysia Cup final against Negri Sembilan at the Shah Alam Stadium on Saturday – for the good of the team.
The Turtles midfielder rubbished rumours that he was unhappy after being benched in both legs of the semi-finals against Selangor to make way for rising star Ahmad Nordin Alias.
Super-sub Ahmad Nordin was the hero for Terengganu when he scored the winning goal against Kelantan in the FA Cup final in June.
“I hope to be in the starting line-up for the final but I am prepared to be a substitute if that is what the coach wants,” he said during the team’s training session.
“I am willing to make way for Ahmad Nordin in midfield … he is a very good and hardworking player.
“There is no ill-feeling as all of us are playing for each other.”
Ismail, who was highly regarded as the Turtles’ playmaker this season and even earned a cap in the national team, has not been in the starting 11 since he was red-carded in the quarter-final, first-leg match against Kelantan.
He has since made only substitute appearances in the semi-finals against Selangor.
But Ismail is not reading too much into it, saying “no one is indispensable” in the team.
“I am willing to sacrifice a starting berth if it means the team will win the Cup,” he said.
“The coach knows what he is doing.”
Instead of worrying about his place in the team, Ismail said he was more focused on training hard and enjoying his football.
“I am a diehard Terengganu fan even before I was a player. I want nothing more than to see the Cup back where it belongs after 10 years,” he said.
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