Selangor Journal
New Selangor signing, Jordanian centre back Yazan Al-Arab in action during training in Shah Alam, on January 12, 2022. — Picture via FACEBOOK/YAZAN AL-ARAB

Selangor new signing Yazan aims to fire up 2022 M-League season

PETALING JAYA, Jan 17 — New Selangor signing, Jordanian centre back Yazan Al-Arab aims to fire up the Malaysia League (M-League) and help boost the standard of football here.

He said despite the many offers to play in Middle Eastern countries, he still chose to join the Red Giants and viewed it as a personal challenge.

“I will work hard not to disappoint the fans and try to repay their trust in me. I also want to change the perception of players over there (the Arab League) about the league in Malaysia.

“Through this experience, I will try to pave the way for those from the Arab League or the Middle East to play here and hope it will improve the quality of football in Malaysia,” he told reporters through an interpreter at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium (MBPJ) here yesterday.

The former Al-Wehdat FC player was also confident of adapting to the local football scene quickly, relying on his vast experience playing in the Asian championships such as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) and the AFC Cup.

“I won’t have a problem fitting in here as the weather, environment and pitch conditions are all of the same standard and not unfamiliar to me,” he explained.

The centre back earned his first international cap with the Jordan national squad at the age of 21 on August 29, 2017 and has played in 24 international matches so far.

Meanwhile, his compatriot Baha ‘Abdelrahman, who also joined the Red Giants, is hoping to impress during Selangor’s Super League opening match against champions Kuala Lumpur City (KL) FC on March 3.

The midfielder, aged 35, is also confident that his age will not stop him from showing off his best skills on the pitch.

“At this age, I am quite confident that I can still play because for the past four years I have been playing abroad. In fact, I played in the Gulf Cup where the standard is much higher (than) in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

“This time around, I decided to come to a different region to a new environment and age is just a number, I am confident I can give a lot to please the Selangor fans,” he said.

Earlier, Selangor FC announced the main team’s lineup, which includes Herlison Caion, Samuel Somerville, Fazly Mazlan and Zahril Zabri.

— Bernama

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