The inaugural Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup⢠has witnessed a host of high calibre performances at all levels, with Malaysian trio Akhyar Rashid, Brendan Gan and Kenny Pallraj raising the standards with their Shopee Star of the Match awards winning performances in the Group Stage matches.
Kuala Lumpur City duo Pallraj and Gan secured their awards for stand-out performances in matches against Kaya FC – Iloilo and Borneo FC Samarinda respectively while Rashid was rewarded for his showing for Terengganu FC against Vietnamâs ÄĂ´ng Ă Thanh HĂła FC.
On-field success is in the genes for Johor-born Rashid, who comes from a sporting family. His brother Rafdi is also a footballer while sister Nurrashidah plays sepak takraw and has represented Malaysia at the international level, including at the 2018 Asian Games.
The 25-year-old, who announced his engagement to actress Eyka Farhana earlier this month, joined Terengganu in July on a one-year loan from Johor Darul Taâzim, where Rashid won a host of domestic titles after joining the club from Kedah in 2019.
He has already claimed five Malaysia Super League titles as well as three Malaysia Cup crowns and two Malaysia FA Cup successes, and since his move north, he has been an influential figure for Terengganu.
On Matchday Two in Group A of the Shopee Cupâ˘, he gave his side the lead as Terengganu secured a 2-2 draw with ÄĂ´ng Ă Thanh HĂła, the clubâs first point in this yearâs competition.
Gan, meanwhile, is in his first season with Kuala Lumpur City having joined the capitalâs club in April after his contract with Selangor had concluded, the move ending a four-year stint with one of Malaysiaâs most storied teams.
His performances in the Shopee Cup⢠have underlined that despite reaching the latter phase of his career, the Australia-born midfielder remains among the most effective players in his position in the region.
Gan, who turned 36 in June, has endured a personal and professional rollercoaster having twice ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament before being diagnosed with testicular cancer in July 2021, taking a year off to overcome the condition and resume his playing career.
His performance was of vital importance to Kuala Lumpur City against Borneo FC as he netted the only goal of the game in the 1-0 victory to ensure the Malaysian side started with a perfect record of two wins out of two to sit level on six points with CĂ´ng An HĂ Náťi FC.
Ganâs influence matched that of club mate Pallraj, who has also been rewarded for his performances in the Shopee Cup⢠earning the Shopee Star of the Match award for the game against Kaya FC – Iloilo.
Pallraj has proven to be a defensive rock for Kuala Lumpur City, where he was a member of the squad that lifted the Malaysia Cup in 2021, his first title with the club after joining from Perak midway through the campaign.
Born in Ipoh, Perak, the 31-year-old, who started his career in 2015 with development side Harimau Muda B before switching to Perak a year later, has shown his versatility by playing both in defence and midfield during Cityâs current season.
The trio will no doubt be prominent once more when the Shopee Cup⢠group stage action returns for Matchday Three on January 8 and 9, with the 12 clubs resuming their battle for regional supremacy.
Meanwhile, Rashid and Gan are expected to star on âHarimau Malayaâ, the Malaysian national team, for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 set to kick-off on December 8.
The Shopee Star of the Match award is presented to the best player of every Shopee Cup⢠match. Winners are selected by Match Commissioners.
For more information about the Shopee Cup⢠(and other major AFF events), please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and X.
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