Champs UniKL retain Charity Shield

Kuala Lumpur (12 March 2021): Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) retained the Charity Shield in a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) after both teams played out to a scoreless draw in regulation time at the National Hockey Stadium today.

The first round of five attempts in the penalty shootout ended 3-3. Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin, Mohd Marhan Mohd Jalil and Harvinder Singh Makmul Singh scored for UniKL while Nk Muhammad Aiman Nik Rozemi, Norsyafiq Sumantri and Muhammad Firhan Ashari replied for TNB.

However, in the sudden-death shootout, UniKL captain Marhan took his team to victory with a well calculated shot past goalkeeper Muhammad Hairi Abdul Rahman after TNB’s Syafiq Sumantri botched his chance.

Both teams, however, share one-equal point.

UniKL team manager Datuk Amir Azhar Ibrahim applauded goalkeeper Adrian Andy Albert for his outstanding performance.

“After three years being in the shadows of Irish goalkeeper David Harte, his game today showed some intelligent traits to save his teammates. He has put himself in contention for the No 1 jersey in the national team,” said Dato’ Amir.

“Our local boys showed good temperament. Players like Pavandip Singh and Nur Rahul Hrsikesa had their moments in the match,” he added.

TNB’s hopes of taking the lead came in the 13th minute. The 2017 Charity Shield winners earned back-to-back penalty corners but Muhamad Syawal Abdul Razak squandered in the first attempt while a scrappy performance in the second diminished all chances for TNB as the first quarter ended in a scoreless draw.

For all the pre-match hype, the Charity Shield tie certainly did not lack the high voltage thrillers. UniKL went about in search of goals with clinical performance but their marauding strikers led by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Razie Abdul Rahman, Faridzul Afiq and Sukri Abdul Mutalib could not find the chink in TNB’s armour.

Dominating the proceedings, TNB once again raised hope of taking the advantage in the 40th minute through Muhamad Shahril Saabah’s field goal attempt but it was disallowed by the umpire as Shahril had struck the ball with the rounded back of the hockey stick.

On the opposite end, UniKL earned their first penalty corner in the 51st minute but Razie’s feeble push was stopped by the defenders and he also floundered in the second attempt.

The momentum swung from one team to another as the match closed in with five minutes of play remaining. UniKL earned a third penalty corner in the 57th minute but without success.

UniKL will now play Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) on Sunday (14 March 2021) while TNB go face-to-face against Nurinsafi Hockey Team. In Thursday’s opening matches THT mauled debutants Sabah 11-0, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM) defeated Nurinsafi 3-0, and Maybank edged TNB Thunderbolts 5-0.