KUALA LUMPUR – National footballer Faisal Halim expressed gratitude to Malaysia head coach Kim Pan-gon for his unwavering support and encouragement for his return to the national team.
Faisal, better known as “Mickey,” has made 34 appearances and scored 15 goals for the Harimau Malaya since his debut in 2019.
The Penang-born player has played an integral role in the team since South Korean Pan-gon came on board in January 2022, participating in tournaments such as the 2022 AFF Championship, 2022 King’s Cup, 2023 Merdeka Tournament, 2023 Asian Cup and the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
For context, the 26-year-old winger was attacked while at a shopping centre in Petaling Jaya with his family on May 5, suffering fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body and requiring intensive care.
After multiple surgeries and a skin transplant with skin imported from Belgium, Faisal was discharged and is now in the first phase of his recovery before starting sports rehabilitation.
“Coach Pan-gon has always been my number one supporter since the acid attack, as he visited me every day at the hospital and always told me to stay strong.
“His words always gave me confidence and it kept me going, allowing me to become stronger every day.
“He always tells me to not lose hope and believe in myself and he keeps telling me that he doesn’t want to lose me in the Harimau Malaya team under any circumstances.
“He’s eagerly waiting for my return to the national team once I’ve recovered. I’m honoured to have a caring coach like him and I can’t wait to repay his faith in me by making a comeback on the pitch,” said Faisal during a press conference at the Selangor Football Training Centre today.
Faisal also admitted that he was disappointed that Malaysia had not advanced to the third round of the 2026 World Cup/2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
“It’s disappointing, and I’m sad that I couldn’t contribute to the team.
“But it’s OK, the team can now focus on other tournaments, and I hope I can be a part of the journey soon,” Faisal added.
Malaysia finished third in Group D of the qualifiers with 10 points after defeating Chinese Taipei 3-1 on June 11.
Oman topped the group with 13 points, while Kyrgyzstan finished second with 11 points, advancing as a top-two team to the next round.
Faisal joined Selangor FC from Terengganu FC last year and went on to score 12 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions last season. – June 13, 2024