Hotshot Safee set to go abroad

HOTSHOT Mohd Safee Sali has offers to play in the Indonesian League next season.

The 26-year-old Selangor striker said that he was approached by a few clubs during the Asean Football Federation (AFF) championships and he would discuss the matter with the FA of Selangor (FAS).

“They said that they would get in touch with me after the championships,” said Safee before the team’s departure for home from Jakarta yesterday.

“I was told that the competition in Indonesia is competitive and I will give it a go if all goes well.”

The 26-year-old stocky Selangor striker was given a new lease of life in the national team with a call-up from coach K. Rajagopal to replace Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Razak, who was not available for the AFF tournament after undergoing ACL on the knee a couple of month ago.

Safee seized on the big opportunity on his return to the international stage after a two-year hiatus. He played a cracking role in Malaysia’s success to win the Suzuki Cup and he also won the Golden Boot award as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals.

“It was totally unexpected. We started with a thrashing by Indonesia at the Bung Karno Stadiun in Jakarta and ended being crowned as champions at the same venue. Everyone is in a happy mood now,” said Safee.

He hopes that the success in the Asean senior international championship will continue to take Malaysian football to greater heights.

“I hope the public out there would stand by the team. I see there is a good future with these young boys, especially from the Harimau Muda (national Under-21) squad,” said Safee.

The team for the AFF tournament comprised mostly Under-23 boys from the 2009 SEA Games gold medal winning squad. The others were Harimau Muda boys with Safee as one of the three seniors in the side together with Mohd Amri Yahyah and Razman Roslan.

Safee fired blanks in the group stage before scoring a brace in the first-leg semi-final that gave Malaysia a 2-0 aggregate win over defending champions.

The top goal scorer for the Red Giants in the Super League this season netted another two goals in Malaysia’s 3-0 win over Indonesia in the first-leg final. He added another in the 1-2 defeat in return match on Wednesday.