PETALING JAYA: Injury or not, defender Mahali Jasuli (pic) is confident he will be at his best in the AFF Suzuki Cup which begins on Sunday.
Mahali, who has been troubled by niggling groin and ankle injuries, said he has fully recovered and wants to continue his winning form with the national team.
The rightback first made his breakthrough with the National Under-23 team winning the Laos SEA Games gold in 2009. A year later, he helped them lift the Suzuki Cup.
The 23-year-old continued his fine form by helping Malaysia retain the SEA Games gold in Indonesia last year.
But 2012 has been an injury nightmare.
The Selayang-born Mahali, who is also a member of the Harimau Muda A side, did not play many games in the S-League because of his injuries.
He only played 12 of 24 matches as the team finished fourth in the S-League. Known for his over lapping runs, Mahali admitted injuries had robbed him of his consistency. But it will not be the case in the Suzuki Cup.
“I had an excellent time winning the SEA Games gold medals in 2009 and 2011 and the Suzuki Cup,” said Mahali after the training session in Wisma FAM yesterday. “I believe I can keep it going.”
He conceded that competition for the spot is much tougher this year. Besides Mahali, the other candidate for the rightback spot is Bunyamin Umar, who will be his Selangor team-mate next year.
“Competition is tough, very tough. Besides Bunyamin, there are others who can play in this position,” said Mahali.
“But I’m working harder than ever simply because I want to play. I want my proud record to continue.”
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