KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Although no longer part of the Harimau Malaya squad, winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim remains inspired by former coach Kim Pan Gon as he makes his comeback following an acid attack incident in early May.

Mohamad Faisal, also known as Faisal Halim, shared that Pan Gon believed he would become a better player if he could overcome the traumatic experience.

The Selangor FC player said Pan Gon conveyed this message to him in the final days of the South Korean coach’s tenure with the national football team.

"I learned that he (Pan Gon) was leaving Malaysia, so I messaged him... I reminded him of what he had told me before. He said, 'we don’t know what the future holds, we just try our best. You will become better in the future if you rise',” he said.

"I hold onto those words and am striving to rise and become an extraordinary player. I want to prove to Malaysia that I can’t be brought down by anything, and the prayers of Malaysians are behind me,” he said in a special interview video by Selangor FC.

On July 16, Pan Gon stepped down as head coach of the national football team.

Last Saturday, Faisal, affectionately known as Mickey, delighted Selangor FC fans by making a comeback during the team’s warm-up session before the second leg of the FA Cup 2024/2025 semi-finals against Terengganu FC at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Stadium.

He was on the substitute list but did not play in the match, which saw Selangor win 4-1 and advance to the final.

Speaking about his motivation to make a comeback, the 26-year-old said that, besides support from close family, the encouragement from the entire Selangor football family has kept his spirit high.

"My condition might not be normal now, possibly impaired, but I feel I can prove myself again and want to play again for Selangor or the national team, depending on the situation.

"All I can say is the support from teammates, Malaysians is deeply touching,” said the winger who the Best Goal award at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar in January.

On May 5, the former Terengganu player was the victim of an acid attack by an unknown individual at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, resulting in fourth-degree burns on several parts of his body. He was treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for about 10 days. —Bernama