KUALA LUMPUR: Sensational young winger Arif Aiman Hanapi has all the makings of an Asian superstar and could become the best player on the continent – if only he continues to grow by plying his trade abroad.
The 21-year-old showed his class with a hattrick as Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) recorded a 4-0 victory over Selangor in the FA Cup semi-finals.
It was his second goal spree in six days after having scored four in Malaysia’s 10-0 win over Papua New Guinea in an international friendly in Terengganu last Tuesday.
Several coaches were left raving about his maturity and progress so far.
“This boy has a good attitude and focus. If you look at his recent performances with the national team, he really stands out. In the new generation of players in Malaysia, he is among the best,” said former Harimau Muda A manager Mohd Azraai Khor Abdullah, one of the most experienced coaches in Malaysia.
“It is rare to see a local player with ability like him. Credit must also be given to JDT and I agree that he is the best player in Asia in the making,” Azraai told Bernama.
Kuching City manager Irfan Bakti thinks the product of the Mokhtar Dahari Football Academy (AMD) in Gambang, Pahang, is comparable to Takefusa Kubo, a 22-year-old from Japan who is currently making a name for himself on the European stage with Spanish club Real Sociedad.
“If he is from Japan or South Korea, he would be playing in Italy and Spain. If you saw his game yesterday, it was not much different from Kubo’s. The difference is that Kubo is left-footed while Arif is right-footed.
“Their skills are about the same, in terms of dexterity, dribbling, ball control and composure, but if you look at body swerve, it’s more to Arif. He is a natural and there is something special with Arif,” said the 72-year-old.
Former national squad head coach Datuk K. Rajagopal agrees.
“Arif has a great desire. I am interested in his game not only in the Malaysian League but in the ACL (Asian Football Confederation Champions League). It is not impossible for him to become the best player in Asia if he maintains his performance.
“He can go far because those characteristics are already there such as the ability to absorb pressure in difficult situations and to make decisions. All of that makes me see that he has something special,” said Rajagopal.
All three former greats believe that Arif should compete with the world’s leading players outside the country.
“He needs to further develop his career abroad because he is still young,” said Azraai.
“With his current ability, he deserves to play in the highest league competition. After the late Mokhtar Dahari and Datuk Soh Chin Aun, there is no other Malaysian player of such quality. Arif should go out and play abroad for his own good,” said Irfan.
Rajagopal also thinks Arif has proven that he is capable of performing in the world’s best leagues.
“If he goes, he can make JDT and the country proud, everything is not impossible, I think if Park Ji-sung can play in Manchester United and some other South Korean players can play in England, why can’t we?” he said.
