IPOH − National futsal queen, Steffi Sarge Kaur Sergeant Singh, is looking forward to repaying the trust placed upon her by helping the football team beat the odds in the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Palestine from September 19 to 22.
The Taiping-born 33-year-old Steffi, who has been made skipper of the 23-strong women’s football team, will face Thailand and Palestine in Group H of the qualifiers at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium.
“Frankly, one of the biggest obstacles in our preparation was the short training stint, but we need to also be mentally prepared when we are in Palestine,” said the versatile Steffi, who can play either in defence, midfield or attack, recently.
Steffi began her career as a footballer by representing Malaysia at the 2007 Thailand SEA Games. In 2013, she represented the nation in futsal and helped the team win the bronze medal at the Myanmar SEA Games.
She also participated in the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and represented the country in the FootGolf Asia Cup in Australia two years later.
“My hope this time is simply to do the best. We must stay positive despite the short training stint. I hope we can achieve something special in Palestine,” said Steffi, who left for Palestine yesterday with the team.
The 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Finals will be held in India from January 20 to February 6. – Bernama, September 14, 2021
