PETALING JAYA – Harimau Malaya squad midfielder Muhammad Nor Azam Abdul Azih is determined not to allow his previous medial collateral ligament (MCL) and hamstring injuries to stop him from giving his all for the national squad.
With two international Tier 1 friendly matches against hosts China and Syria set to take place in Chengdu, China this month, the Sri Pahang FC player is currently focused on regaining his confidence and abilities and hopes to comeback during the matches.
“This year has been quite a downer for me, with my performance on the field being disrupted by my injuries.
“The pain is actually gone but the mind needs to help me forget the past injuries. Based on what I’ve learnt, the injuries are linked,” he said during today’s centralised training session at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya.
He attributed his wife Iffa Najiha Nor Mohamed Zin as the one who helped him overcome his injuries and regain his confidence on the field, and said that he has no problem in doing his best if national coach Kim Pan Gon fields him against Syria and China, teams ranked in the top 100, compared to Malaysia at 136.
“Besides my Sri Pahang teammates, my wife was the one who inspired me and reminded me that a footballer would have his ups and downs and we need to find ways to move past it ourselves,” he said.
Malaysia will play Syria on September 6 and China three days later in the upcoming series of friendly matches. – September 1, 2023