KUALA LUMPUR – Faizal Saari wants to leave a lasting mark on his fourth and final World Cup by setting a personal goal-scoring record for Malaysia, while believing the Speedy Tigers can make an impact despite being handed one of the toughest groups in the tournament.
The 35-year-old striker, one of Malaysia’s most experienced forwards, is determined to make his final appearance on hockey’s biggest stage count when the Speedy Tigers begin their campaign against defending champions Germany on Saturday.
Faizal, who will spearhead Malaysia’s attack, is confident the team can punch above their weight under head coach Brendon Carolan despite being drawn alongside world No. 5 Germany, world No. 9 France and world No. 1 Belgium in Group B.
“I want to create my personal goal-scoring record for Malaysia in the World Cup. This will be my last World Cup, so I want to make it a memorable one and contribute as much as possible to the team,” Faizal told Scoop when contacted.
“I believe we can create an impact under Brendon. We know we are in a very difficult group, but we cannot go into the tournament thinking that we have no chance. We have to believe in ourselves and fight in every match.”
Malaysia, ranked 14th in the world, face a daunting task against three higher-ranked opponents after struggling for consistency in recent months.
The Speedy Tigers finished fifth among nine teams at the Nations Cup in South Africa in June, their most recent competitive outing, while Carolan has been tasked with guiding a squad featuring several experienced players through a demanding World Cup campaign.
Germany will provide an immediate test of Malaysia’s credentials, having thrashed the Speedy Tigers 10-1 in a friendly in 2024.
The Germans have also won six of their eight meetings with Malaysia since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, with Malaysia’s only victory during that period coming in a 4-2 Test match win in 2019.
Faizal, however, believes past results should not dictate what happens in the tournament.
“We know Germany are one of the best teams in the world and they are the defending champions, but we have to approach the match with confidence,” he said.
“Every game starts at 0-0. If we stay disciplined, take our chances and play according to our plan, we can make things difficult for them.”
After Germany, Malaysia will face France on Aug 17 before rounding off their group campaign against Belgium two days later.
The Speedy Tigers lost 3-1 to France in the 2024 Nations Cup and suffered a heavy 9-1 defeat by Belgium at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh last November.
Despite the challenging schedule, Faizal believes Malaysia must remain ambitious if they are to achieve their quarter-final target.
“Our target is the quarter-finals, so we have to believe that it is possible. We cannot simply talk about the strength of our opponents and forget about our own capabilities,” he said.
“We have experienced players who have played at this level before, and we also have younger players who can bring energy to the team. If everyone performs their role and we remain focused, I believe we can surprise some teams.”
The World Cup will also serve as important preparation for next month’s Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Malaysia will be looking to challenge for honours.
Faizal is among a group of experienced players in the squad, alongside captain Marhan Jalil, goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman, defenders Faiz Helmi and Syed Syafiq Syed Chulan, midfielders Fitri Saari, Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi and Shello Silverius, and forwards Norsyafiq Sumantri and Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal.
Malaysia finished joint 13th with France among 16 teams at the 2023 World Cup in India and will be determined to improve on that showing.
The Speedy Tigers’ best World Cup performances remain their fourth-place finish in 1975 and eighth-place finish in 2002, both achieved on home soil in Kuala Lumpur.
The Netherlands, Argentina, Japan and New Zealand form Group A, while Australia, Spain, South Africa and Ireland are in Group C.
Group D consists of Asian champions India, Pakistan, England and Wales, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the next stage. – August 14, 2026