Busy times: Sabah’s Darren Lok represented Malaysia in the Asian Cup and also played in the AFC Cup for Sabah. — Sabah FC
PETALING JAYA: When it comes to national duty, it’s anytime, anywhere for dedicated Sabah striker Darren Lok.
Darren, one of the 33 players in the Harimau Malaya centralised training camp, admitted it was hard for the players to get into the groove for their country now as most of them have just started gearing up for the new season with their Super League clubs.
He, along with Sabah teammates Stuart Wilkin (midfielder), Dominic Tan and Daniel Ting (defenders), and Buriram United centreback Dion Cools, are among the handful who seem match-fit in the Malaysian team.
Playing one recent AFC Cup game against Macarthur in the Asean zone semi-final, where they lost 3-0, must have helped the Sabah four.
But whatever the feeling and condition of the players in coach Kim Pan-gon’s side, Darren remains the true pro.
He said that just being a part of the national side is motivation enough for him to prepare well for their third and fourth Group D matches of the World Cup 2026-Asian Cup 2027 round two qualifiers against Oman in Muscat (March 21) and Bukit Jalil (March 26).
“Of course, this being the pre-season, it’s not an ideal time for the players to prepare for international assignments with the national team. But that should never be an excuse. As professional footballers, we have to be able to look after ourselves and do everything we can to be at our best,” said the 33-year-old Darren.
“You should never need any motivation when representing your country. It’s the biggest honour there is in football.”
The new year has been a busy one so far for Darren, as he represented Malaysia in the Asian Cup and also played in the AFC Cup for Sabah.
Although Malaysia could only collect a point in the Asian Cup, when they held South Korea 3-3 in their last group match, Darren has a lot of positives to draw on.
“It’s been a busy time, but representing Malaysia at the Asian Cup is something that you will never forget. It didn’t go as well as we had hoped for but we showed in the last game what we are capable of.
“It gives us the confidence going into these next World Cup qualifiers.
“As for the AFC Cup campaign with Sabah, again it came at a bad time for us and we weren’t as prepared as we would have liked but I think we can be proud of what we’ve achieved. Making it to the next round was a positive result for the club and hopefully, we can build on that for the new season.
“I hope to stay fit and healthy, and give my all when representing either club or country. I want to win every game I play in, but now I have to focus on these two games against Oman.”
Despite his age, Darren remains a top striker for the national team. Apart from his impressive finishing, his work rate is also noteworthy thanks to his incessant pressing and ability to open up spaces for other attackers.
In the national team, Darren, along with young striker Haqimi Azim Rosli, will form the front two.
He welcomes the addition of more Under-23 players to the senior team.
“It will be a valuable experience for them. I’m excited to be partnering Haqimi, who is a fine young talent who’s capable of earning many caps.”
