Rozaimi back with Sabah

New Sabah Times

ROZAIMI … is arguably one of the brightest young talents to have emerged from the State football scene.

KOTA KINABALU: The State Premier League side will be given a major boost following the imminent return of its young prodigy Rozaimi Abdul Rahman from national duty. The Sabah Football Association Team Management Committee Chairman Joehari Datuk Ayub revealed this after chairing the committee’s first meeting here yesterday.

 “Rozaimi will come back and play for Sabah in the 2014 season. He will join the rest of his teammates after the Myanmar SEA Games where he is playing for the Harimau Muda (A),” said Joehari, who is also one of the FA’s four Vice Presidents. It was reliably learnt that it was the Bongawan-born player who contacted the FA expressing his intention to don Sabah colours.

 The latest development is not only a relief for the FA, but also the local football fans, who would love to see him (Rozaimi) playing for Sabah. For the record, Rozaimi, 21, is arguably one of the brightest young talents to have emerged from the State football scene. The skillful left-footed player is also a proven goal-scorer at international level.

 A short glance at his football background, Rozaimi started to pick up the sport by attending the TABS Kota Kinabalu Sunday training. In fact, it was not until after he donned Sarawak colours that his talent was spotted. He was signed by Sarawak in 2010 as one of its Under-20 players, which was then required for all teams.

 The following year, he finally made it into the President’s Cup team, where in the same year he also made his Super League debut for Sabah as well as received his first national call up. In 2012, he was instrumental in helping Sabah to win the historic Malaysia Games (Sukma) football gold before his goal-scoring spree at the international level, including at the nation’s failed AFC U-22 Asian Cup qualifying campaign where he scored 10 goals in five games.

 The feat saw him named in the ESPN Soccernet’s Top Ten Asian Players 2012 list. Rozaimi is currently with the Ong Kim Swee-coached Harimau Muda A squad in their title defence of the SEA Games gold medal.