19-year old Hakimi could undoubtedly be Kuala Lumpur City’s Young Players of the season after he signalled his growing importance to head coach Bojan’s squad by delivering his first goal at senior level for the City Boys during the 2-0 win against Sri Pahang last Sunday.
In only his second start of 2022 after coming on from the beginning in the 2-2 draw at Sabah ten days ago, the product of the National Football Development Programme (NFDP), who graduated from the Kuala Lumpur Sports School (SSN KL), also featured for the Red & White in their Youth Cup (Under-19) & President’s Cup (Under-21) campaigns this year, scoring 7 goals in 12 outings at the younger age-group level.
In Kuantan, Hakimi opened the scoring after 31 minutes, quickly reacting to Zhafri’s suprise layoff in the box, before turning to slot pass the giant Mamadou Samassa in the Elephants goal. Praising him after the match, Bojan said he was happy for the youngster, who played to instructions and that this achievement of opening his senior account today, would be key to his continued progress as a striker.
Making his senior debut as a substitute in the city slickers’ Charity Cup loss to Johor DT last February, Hakimi featured in this role a further seven times with appearances against Sabah (home), Penang (home), Terengganu (away), Selangor (away), Kedah DA (home), Johor DT (away) and Viettel (away), with combined playing time of approximately 90 minutes before landing that first eleven spot in Kota Kinabalu. He also impressed the selectors of the Young Tigers this year, joining the Under-23’s for their pre-Vietnam South East Asian (SEA) Games training camp in April that included a 50 minute performance in a 1-2 friendly loss to Timor Leste, and also made his way into the national Under-19 squad that won the Jakarta ASEAN Football Federation Under-19 championship in July.
Speaking to The Voice of The City Boys following his goal vs S Pahang, Haqimi was appreciative of his latest personal milestone and to his teachers in Cheras.
“Alhamdulillah (praise to God), I am grateful that I scored my first senior goal in the Super League and helped the team to get the 3 points. I am thrilled to score my first senior goal!”
“I am thankful to the coaches, especially coach Bojan for trusting my capabilities and putting me in the first eleven. With that chance, I had to make the best out of it”, he said.
On his targets for the closing stages of the season, Haqimi expressed his ambition to help the City Boys do better in all competitions and perhaps cap the season with a trophy.
“Personally I would want to help bring our team further up the table in the league and make a strong defence of our Malaysia Cup. I do want us to go through to the AFC Cup final and hopefully win it.”
Let’s hope for the boy’s wish to come true!
To read the match report of S Pahang vs KL City on 11/9/2022 (Super League), please click COMING SOON
To watch the highlights of S Pahang vs KL City on 11/9/2022 (Super League), please click https://youtu.be/FCo7DbgyCuQ
To watch the complete match of S Pahang vs KL City on 11/9/2022 (Super League), please click https://youtu.be/yb2MiLHXYSg