07 Sep SAFEE SALI & CARDIFF

Prolific striker Safee Sali has will be the first Malaysian to get a bite of the cherry at Cardiff City Football Club after being offered a two-week trial.

The Pelita Jaya striker, who has been in scintillating for both club and country lately, has done enough to impress Cardiff City owner Datuk Chan Tien Ghee and merit a trial stint with the Welsh outfit from Sept 12 to 27.

Safee is the second Malaysian to be offered the trial. National team skipper Safiq Rahim was the first to land the deal, but due to his Malaysia Cup commitments with Selangor, the 24-year-old will only be flying off once the competition comes to a close.

Safee has often been compared to Malaysian great Mokhtar Dahari and touted as the best striker of his generation. The latest revelation was music to his years as he braces himself for what he said would be “the pinnacle of his career”.

“Every Malaysian football fan follows the English game and I’m no different. Even as a kid, I’ve always dreamt of one day plying my trade in the English league … and now I have a chance to do that with this trial.

“The door has been opened for me. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am going to give it my all to prove my credentials,” said the 27-year-old Safee.

Meanwhile, Datuk Chan hopes more Malaysians would show worldly promise and potential to hit it big time in football.

“When Safiq managed to get a trial with Cardiff, there was a real good buzz around the club as well as in Malaysia. Now with Safee joining the fray, hopefully, the hype will be heightened and inspire our young and budding footballers to aim only for the sky.

“This effort will bode well for both the club and Malaysia. There’s a lot of talent back home and it’s time we start unearthing the gifted by giving them proper exposure. I think this could be the beginning of a revolution,” said Malaysian businessman Datuk Chan who took over the Cardiff City last year.