KUALA LUMPUR: Merdeka Stadium erupted with cheers as 20,000 fans were treated to a surprise when Selangor announced Faisal Halim as captain for their Sultan of Selangor's Cup match against Singapore today.
Despite having only played a total of 20 minutes in Selangor's last two Super League matches, Faisal, who survived an acid attack, was named in the starting eleven for the first time this season.
Although it is not an official M-League match, the timing of Faisal's return had fans buzzing with excitement, especially with the FA Cup final against Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) just a week away.
His performance tonight could be a key indicator of his potential involvement in the FA Cup final.
In an earlier match, Selangor defeated Singapore 2-1 in the 30-minute veterans' match.
Datuk Zainal Abidin Hassan scored Selangor's opening goal in the third minute before they doubled their lead through Asmawi Bakiri in the 18th minute.
Singapore scored their only goal of the match in stoppage time through Dalis Supait.
Former national captain Datuk Soh Chin Aun, Datuk Santokh Singh, Datuk K. Rajagobal, and Datuk Dollah Salleh were among those who donned Selangor colours during the veterans' match.
On the opposing side, the Singapore Selection was captained by Fandi Ahmad and supported by veterans such as Malek Awab, Leong Kok Fann, Rezal Hassan, Yazid Yasin and Razali Saad.
Despite the heavy downpour, fans still turned up as early as 5:30 pm at Merdeka Stadium for the Sultan of Selangor's Cup.
Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, along with Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin Abdul Rahman and Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, were among the attendees.
The event started with a performance by the Royal Malaysia Police band, which played popular tunes from the 1960s.