Goalscoring midfielder Huzaifah gets his reward
Balestier Khalsa's Huzaifah Aziz wants to be the Luka Modric of the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
The 24-year-old midfielder has tried to model his game after the Croatian midfield maestro, who is known for his silky touch and great passing ability.
This season, Huzaifah can add one more thing to his repertoire: goals.
Huzaifah, who won the Goal of the Season award last year, has scored four goals in 13 appearances for the Tigers this term, including last Saturday's free-kick equaliser in their 2-2 draw against Brunei DPMM.
The nephew of famed former national footballer Malek Awab, Huzaifah is also the fifth-highest local scorer in the SPL, behind more experienced players Khairul Amri, Shawal Anuar, Shahril Ishak and Fairoz Hasan.
Despite his scintillating performances, Huzaifah remains firmly grounded, saying: "Even though I'm doing well now, I always focus instead on what went wrong.
"Every day, I want to be a better version of myself compared to yesterday."
His positive performances have not gone unnoticed by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), and he has been rewarded with a call-up for the FAS' regular Monday training sessions.
The training sessions were initiated by former national coach Bernd Stange to give potential national players an opportunity to train together. Yesterday, Huzaifah took part in a session at Jalan Besar Stadium.
GO FAR
Balestier coach Marko Kraljevic believes it is only a matter of time before Huzaifah gets a national call-up.
Said Kraljevic: "He has a winning mentality and, since coming over last year, his work ethic has been excellent.
"I think he'll really get his chance, but let's not forget he's still young and he has time over the next five to six years to become even better."
While Huzaifah has been making waves, much of his rise can be attributed to a relentless work ethic.
Huzaifah credits his success to his parents, saying: "They have been very supportive and I do this for my family.
"I owe it to them and everybody else who has supported me for where I am now."
Balestier are fifth in the nine-team SPLwith two-thirds of the season completed.
The Tigers will be looking to finish in the top three to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
They will have an opportunity to close an eight-point gap on third-placed Home when both teams meet at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Sunday.
Said Huzaifah: "The title is out of reach, but we still want to qualify for the AFC."
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