KUALA LUMPUR – Could Negri Sembilan FC striker Sean Selvaraj be the second Malaysian to win the prestigious FIFA Puskas Award?
During the Super League match against Selangor FC on July 31, Selvaraj scored the third and winning goal in the 88th minute after his club clawed back from a 2-0 deficit.
It was not the fact that he scored the deciding goal that made headlines, but instead the manner that his shot zipped past Selangor goalkeeper Samuel Somerville.
The stunning goal made waves worldwide, with FIFA posting the clip on Twitter along with two other international goals with the caption “Could any of these goals be a Puskas contender?”
3⃣ - Sean Selvaraj for @nsfc1923 in @MFL_MY ?pic.twitter.com/00iBER4fzS
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) August 2, 2022
One of the other goals was by Argentinian club Atletico Central Cordoba’s Francisco Gonzalez Metilli, and another by Nathan Lowe of Kidderminster Harriers FC in England.
Sean’s magnificent strike was also posted on Bleacher Report Football’s Twitter page, which has since gained over 16,800 likes and 6,000 retweets.
Meanwhile in Malaysia ☄️
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 31, 2022
(via @MFL_MY)pic.twitter.com/uVgVXVSbRG
In the match, K. Devan’s men were down 2-0 against the Red Giants up till the 66th minute. Brazilian Gustavo Almeida dos Santos then gave Negri Sembilan a goal after scoring a free-kick.
He then evened the score after heading the ball to the back of the net from a free-kick by Khuzaimi Piee, before Selvaraj scored the winner and sent the away fans at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium into a frenzy.
Malaysia currently has one player that won the Puskas Award.
In 2016, Penang FC attacking midfielder Mohd Faiz Subri won the award for his banana free-kick goal against Sri Pahang FC.
The FIFA Puskas Award was established in 2009 and is in honour of Ferenc Puskas, the Real Madrid striker during the late 1950s and 1960s, who was considered one of the most powerful forwards in European football. He scored 511 goals in 533 games.
The award is to be given to the player judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant goal of the year. – The Vibes, August 9, 2022
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