Hot stuff: JDT’s Fernando Forestieri is fast becoming a feared striker in Malaysian football.
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) striker Fernando Forestieri has shown why he is one of the best imports in the Super League.
Not only is he the current league top scorer with eight goals, but the 32-year-old Argentinian is an all-rounder and has provided five assists too.
And he pulled off all these in nine matches!
According to the statistics provided by the Malaysian Football League (MFL), the former Watford and Udinese player took 34 shots, of which 19 were on target.
In the race for the Golden Boot, he is just a goal ahead of Selangor’s striker Ayron Del Valle.
The 33-year-old Colombian, playing in Malaysia for the first time, has scored seven goals in nine matches and 13 out of his 17 shots were on target.
Forestieri said his team had been playing well as a unit since the start of the season.
“It feels good to contribute for the team. The system that we play allows us to score lots of goals,” he said.
“I want to thank my teammates because we have been to able work well with each other. I’ve adapted well and they have a good understanding of my style on the field.
“The club believe in me too. I’ll continue to work hard in all aspects to deliver for Selangor.
“We are top of the league, and we want to keep it going.”
Meanwhile, third in the top scorer’s list are three players – Arif Aiman Hanapi (nine games), Park Tae-su (seven) and Stefano Brundo (nine) – sharing the spot with five goals each and surprisingly, all are not strikers.
JDT winger Arif is the only local player in the top three spot.
All of Sabah midfielder Tae-su’s goals came from set-pieces and long-range pile drivers. Seven out of his 14 shots were on target.
As for Pahang centreback Brundo of Argentina, eight out of his 18 shots met the target.
Others closing the gap are strikers – Kpah Sherman (Pah), Jordan Mintah (Ter), Soony Saad (Pen), and Diogo Santo (JDT), all with four goals so far.
