He’s not done yet: Junior Eldstal is not resting on his laurels and is eager to perform even better in future games for Malaysia.
PETALING JAYA: At 1.91m tall, Junior Eldstal is known for mopping up crosses and being imposing with his challenges thanks to his strong physique.
And he did just that in the 1-0 win against Taiwan in their second Group D match of the World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers at the Taiwan Municipal Stadium in Taipei on Tuesday.
Despite his lack of pace, he makes it up with his physicality, which is something coach Kim Pan-gon has made full use of in some matches.
Some were critical of his selection as he didn’t have many minutes of play but after the game against Taiwan, he shut down his detractors.
“When coach Kim uses me, he has 100% belief in me,” said the former Sarawak player.
“Even before the qualifiers, I didn’t get minutes because of injury. But I got called up because he knows that someone like me would fit the physical matches where teams play long balls for their strikers.
“The coach believes in me, and I believe in the team. I am 32, my mentality is not like in the past. I can read games well now because of my experience in international football.
“But what’s important is for the coach to show confidence. Our current coach does that a lot. He trusts me even though some do not.
“When you have someone like that, you will give your 200%.”
But Junior, who is doing his degree in sports psychology part-time, is not resting on his laurels and is eager to perform even better in future games for Malaysia.
“Before entering the squad, I knew the importance of these qualifiers for Malaysia because we have now got ourselves to the Asian Cup. Next is to improve our rankings and get to the third round for the first time,” said Junior who plays for Indonesian outfit Dewa United.
